How to stop and enjoy your vacation

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I have a question for you. When you take a vacation, are you able to stop and truly enjoy it? Or do you constantly think of all the work you need to get done and struggle to relax? In this world that is addicted to the myth of multitasking, we cannot seem to slow down and just do nothing. We must grab our phone, or anything else, and do SOMETHING continuously. We have trained ourselves to switch back and forth from task to task to the point that we feel restless when we try to take a break. Sounds crazy, right?

During my speaking tour, I stayed in Shabu in the Philippines. It was a fantastic trip, filled with beautiful views, delicious new foods, and great friends. Yet, I still caught myself doing the very thing I tell my leadership clients to watch out for…thinking about work and not enjoying the moments around me. I am going to show you a technique that I teach my clients to help you break away from this cycle and allow yourself to disengage from the busy mindset for a little while. This is part of what I teach in my book, The Power of Having Fun. You can learn more about The Power of Having Fun at DaveCrenshaw.com/Fun.

I call the technique “Head, Heart, and Mouth” and it is backed by scientific research. The first step is using your “head” to stop and intellectually acknowledge something that is good or fun. Then, with the “heart” step, you become aware of how the moment makes you feel. Think about those emotions and feelings for a moment and soak it in. Finally, with the “mouth” step, you verbalize those emotions and feelings. You can speak it aloud, like when I stopped and told my wife during our trip, “I like you,” because while we often say love, how often do we express “like” and how much we enjoy another person’s company? You could also write it down in a journal or even as a comment on this video. I would love to hear of a time when you experienced something good or fun and how it made you feel. Thanks for watching!