What I Learned While on Vacation
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

At the end of June, I had the privilege of taking a week off and spent the time with my family. We rented a camp on Otisco Lake and the weather was fantastic. There was swimming, boating, fishing, and a birthday party for two of the grandkids. All nine grandchildren were able to be there, and needless to say, with nine children from six months to eight years old, it was a lively and fun-filled experience. Except for two meetings, checking emails, and a couple of calls, I was able to disconnect from my work—all in all, a wonderful vacation.

As I reflected on my week off, I realized that something wasn’t quite right. From time to time, I felt anxious and out of sorts. I could attribute some of that to spending so much time with nine children under the age of nine, but not all of it. True, my old boat still isn’t running right, and that’s a bummer. Sitting in her while she sits on a trailer just doesn’t do it for me, but that wasn’t it either. Maybe it was the fact that my fishing wasn’t the best. I lost two huge Largemouth Bass that came off right at the boat. One was at least a three-pounder, but that wasn’t my problem. What was it? Why, when everything was so great, was I feeling anxious and somewhat down?

I discovered the answer as I restarted my post-vacation life. I had neglected my personal growth routine. I always get up at the same time, spend quiet time alone with God, reflect on the previous day, plan the day ahead, and expose my mind to learning opportunities. Just because I was on vacation from work, didn’t mean I should stop the things that set each day up for success. Had I kept my routine, I fully believe that my anxiety would have been reduced or eliminated.

I decided to do a little research into this and found that it is quite normal. Routines are critical for a happy, healthy life. Daily routines contribute to less stress, better sleep, and overall better health. We may think we need a vacation from our routines, but we don’t. The next time I take a vacation, you can bet I will keep my daily routine going.

If you would like to hear more on this topic, please join Marisa Norcross and me for Episode 160 of The Next Page podcast as we share more on the benefits of daily routines.

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