This past weekend was my birthday, so my husband and I took loaded up the car, went (mostly) radio silence with our phones, grabbed our children to Southern Missouri to visit my in-laws.  The first two nights we all stayed at my in laws and had fun enjoying small town life-going to a local catfish restaurant (seriously, one of my favorite places on earth), wandering around a nearly arts & crafts fair, watching the feral cats playing outside and listening to my father-in-law give my son a piano lesson. We take these little trips as a family as often as possible, because, as I often tell my husband, we are the best versions of ourselves when we get away and focus completely on each other.

But the third night?  The third night of the trip was ALL about self care.  The in laws watched our kiddos and my husband and I spent about 24 hours on our own.  We spent most of our alone time exploring Echo Bluff State Park. We went for hikes, watched for the beautiful wild horses we saw last year (they did not make an appearance), ate at the tiny lodge restaurant and caught up on a favorite TV show in our room.  Oh, and I may have convinced my husband to help me make a short video to eventually go in this blog post.  I just was feeling so relaxed that I felt inspired.  But I put rules around it-only about half a minute of planning, we filmed in one take and I didn’t play it back from the time we got home.

We worked hard to protect this time together and focus on self care.

How are Weekend Trips part of a Self Care Plan?

A well planned getaway to a place that evokes a sense of peace and wellbeing can reduce stress, can improve heart help, increases positive emotions, reduces negative emotions and can even improve sleep.  I think the best part of my recent one night getaway in Echo Bluff was getting a full night of sleep without any children waking us up!

Where Should I go on a Self Care Themed Vacation?

A great self care vacation would be a visit of any length to anywhere that evokes feelings of calmness in you.  When I’m choosing a self care themed vacation (Trust me, not all of our vacations are about relaxing and rejuvenating…our last big trip was to Disney World last year. While magical, I would not describe that as stress free or relaxing.), I often choose somewhere that I can spend some time in nature.  We’ve talked before about how nature can promote emotional healing.  Other options might be a meditation retreat, a spa, just spending a day locked inside a hotel room relaxing, or a church retreat.

The important thing is not the where. It’s just that you make the time and space to look after your physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual needs.

But I don’t have the Money for a Vacation

Self care getaways don’t have to be expensive.  We chose to use credit card reward points to stay at the state park lodge, had my amazing in laws watch our kiddos for the night and only paid for the gas and some food (really only one meal, we brought snacks and breakfast with us).  For some people, camping may be a way to spend money.  Or perhaps you just make it a single self care day where you take the day off work and focus on doing relaxing activities around the empty house all day.  Think outside the box if money is tight.  On the other hand, when you’re able to afford more there are some AMAZING opportunities for more expensive self care themed trips!

I understand that getting away is good for my mental health, but who has time?

I hear you there!  It feels like we are always busy. In fact, more than half of Americans don’t use their vacation days! There’s always something big coming up, a new project, some event we feel obligated to attend, house projects to complete, etc.  Consider taking one week, one weekend, one day or even half a day!  Sometimes even small amounts of time can be excellent for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Now…

How Would A Short Time Away Improve Your Physical, Emotional, Mental Or Spiritual Wellbeing?

Where Can You Go That Would Help You Relax And Feel Centered?

When Can You Plan A Self Care Trip, Even If It Is Short?

Are You Ready To Commit To Taking Care Of Yourself?

With the holidays coming up, wouldn’t now be the perfect time to begin thinking about a self care themed trip?  Perhaps you could ask for a trip as a Christmas gift from a loved one.  Or maybe you just plan your own solo trip after the holidays are over to help you rejuvenate after all that stress that can come with the holiday season.  Just give it some thought.

If you realize that self care is a big problem for you or you’d like more help gaining control over your mental and emotional health, please feel free to reach out to Aspire Counseling.  We’d be glad to explore how one of our excellent therapists could help you meet your mental health goals.

About The Author

Jessica is the founder of Aspire Counseling in Columbia, MO. She specializes in treating people who feel stuck in the past and held back by the negative experiences they’ve endured. She specializes in treating survivors of sexual assault and rape who are experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as anxiety treatment.  Jessica believes in the healing power of individual counseling. If you live in the Columbia, MO area and would like to talk to someone about how counseling might help you move beyond surviving and toward thriving, please contact Aspire Counseling by e-mail or by calling 573-328-2288.  You don’t have to stay stuck.  You don’t have to let what happened to you define your life. Call today and let us help you move from victim to survivor and toward a fulfilling life. Healing starts here.