A few rules to live by……..
So, I am about to embark on my vacay. It has to be stress-free and extremely restful…….
I will start with my first and most essential rule. No one and I mean NO ONE from work is allowed to contact me AT ALL. I don’t care what they need. Today is the last day for all of it. There are other doctors at work who can help with whatever is necessary.
Next rule…….vacay means not staying in a familiar place. In other words, even if I have to rent a room from a hotel one block away from me, that is exactly what I will do. There should not be anything familiar when I go on vacay. Thus I should feel ‘excited’ and ‘curious’ everytime I wakeup.
Speaking of…..travel. I only have carryon luggage. So when the vacay is over, I don’t have to spend any time annoyed about missing luggage. I don’t have to run about an airport looking to tote luggage around. I pack a simple carry on and move quickly everywhere.
Also……..sleep. This vacay is all about me, and getting as much rest as possible. So, if I go to the Caribbean, sure I will do the tours, but those tours need to end at a early enough hour so I can still get some rest. If I go out to party, I am coming back around 2am.
Discussion……….anything about medicine. That should not happen. I don’t want to hear about your ‘flu’. Or your ‘aches and pain’. Let us talk about the weather, or the latest in sports. Or better yet, let us not even talk. Can I just sit and read in a corner for once.
Is it possible for me to have a day where I don’t even have to talk……..
Last, but definitely not least, exercise. Just because I am on vacay does NOT mean that I don’t exercise. The only difference is……no gym. I associate the gym with work. I go to the gym in the morning regardless of whether I have work or not. Therefore, when I have to go on vacay, I get in a lot of outdoor activities. I will go hiking, swimming on the beach, surfing, a simple walk in a park, even mountain climbing. I also take a lot of road trips.
I take vacation very seriously. Medicine is a very stressful road to follow. If I don’t get even an ounce of space that is all mine I would not be able to stay in medicine. Little breaks from it every once in a while helps you not only become a better doctor, but also a better person.
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