I am getting ready to leave on vacation, which can be a very stressful time. I am making sure that all the pesky details are taken care of: bills set up to be paid; I have coverage for my practice; I have my passport; I have left an itinerary for those people who need it, as well as a million other details. I am counting down the days until I get on the plane.

One of the things that I love about vacation is not having a to-do list. We may have things scheduled, but they are generally fun. There is not a list of chores. I love airplanes because no one can reach me. I cannot answer my email or look at texts. I can’t even look at twitter!

Vacations need to be about disconnecting from the minutiae of our day and connecting with what is truly important. We need to take this time to connect with our family and friends. We need to connect to nature and beauty of all kinds. We need time to connect to ourselves!

We often are so caught up in all of the things that are creating stress in our lives, that we do not take the time to tune into what we need. For instance, to not set the alarm but to notice how much sleep our bodies actually need. To allow ourselves to be curious about what is around us, to actually notice it and not just have our heads buried in our phones.

We need to disconnect to truly connect. And I am off to do just that. I hope that you give yourselves the same opportunity!