Vacation Downtime

20160322_123937-1.jpg

In the past, I was on the go from the moment I left home to go on vacation until the moment I arrived home.  After chronic illnesses entered my life, I began scheduling downtime prior to and following my trips.  However, this was not enough after my condition progressed.

In the past year, I have realized how important it is to NOT schedule outings or expect my body to be willing to leave my bed for a minimum of a day or two after arriving at my destination.  Whether by train, plane, or automobile, traveling takes a toll on a chronically ill body.

Advertisements


After two days of riding in a car, my body is thanking me for not scheduling anything that requires leaving the hotel for the next few days.  Typically I would start scheduling outings for the second day, but I knew I needed to take precautions because I have four fun-filled days planned with family at the end of the week.

To further complicate things, Denver is expecting not one but two snow storms this week.  My body is not a fan of storms of any kind, but the storms that Denver beat me up like no other.  I lived here for two years prior to getting diagnosed, and it was here that I first began noticing my weather-related pain.  The bad news is I know that I will be experiencing more pain than usual this week.  The good news is that I am better prepared to plan around it because I am expecting it.

Advertisements

Anyways, by allowing for a day of rest after arriving, I give my body a chance to recover from the increase of pain resulting from traveling.  It also opens new opportunities.  For example, I lacked the stamina to go out for dinner last night.  Instead, we chose to eat at our hotel.  This particular hotel offers their guests dinner in the lobby several nights a week.

Instead of having to go out in the cold, we just went downstairs.  The tables were filling up fast.  A woman, traveling alone, and my family spotted the only open table at the same time.  I asked if we could join her.  She was delighted to have the company.  Throughout our dinner conversation, we discovered that we only lived a few hours away from each other in Southern California.  We also discovered that we had a lot more in common.  We had such a wonderful time chatting that we were both shocked when we realized that we had been talking for three hours!  After saying goodbye with hugs, I retreated back to my room, medicated, and had an excellent night’s sleep. Had I scheduled an activity for today, I wouldn’t have been as relaxed as I was last night and most likely wouldn’t have engaged in a lively conversation.

smartselectimage_2016-03-22-12-42-02.png
Did someone say SNOW!!??!!??
Did someone say SNOW!!??!!??

Today I am sore but not nearly as bad as if I would have pushed myself to go out last night or somewhere today.  For those who say, what’s the point of getting away when you could rest at home? I have this to say…. Yes, I could be resting at home.  I would also see all the housework that I would never catch up with. I would see all of my unfinished projects and more.  Resting a day or more before venturing out of my hotel is way more relaxing.  I don’t have much to stress about between housekeeping and room service.

So while not exciting, my first day is just what I needed.  I am thrilled to spend this day napping and writing.

Do you schedule a day of rest after traveling?  If not, you may want to give it a try!

Published by Cynthia Covert

Diagnosed in 2001 with psoriasis, followed by fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, and later a botched hysterectomy turned her world upside down. Cynthia shares her experience, advice, and tips for how to make life with chronic pain easier and less painful.

3 thoughts on “Vacation Downtime

Comment Here!

Skip to content
This Website is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilitiesWe are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
Conformance status