So if you follow me on Instagram you will know I spent the weekend in Melbourne. My boyfriend has recently moved down there to pursue his dreams of AFL and while I hate the whole long distance thing, it is the perfect excuse to ‘vacay’ in my favorite city in Australia!!
Why do I love Melbourne? Mmm the food, the culture, the weather, daylight savings (we watched the sunset at 9 pm!!!), and best of all the food…. Yep, it is pretty amazing down there and yes, it really does live up to all the hype! I went on this weekend getaway/break/vacay to enjoy all that, and more importantly, I left my computer at home for 3 whole nights, the longest I have been away from it in the past year – sad right?
Over time our lives have been getting busier, we try and fit more into the day all at the same time as being told we need to exercise more, eat better – oh and don’t forget you need at least 8hrs of sleep a night.
Breakfast at The General Food Co. Williamstown (Check out their Instagram)
We need to juggle work, study, health, family, friends, food, sleep, maintaining a household (mothers how do you do it? I struggle just for myself…) and this is all within a mere 24hrs.
SO when I got the opportunity to go computer-free I loved it. Did I feel guilty when I was away? Heck yes!! But then I reminded myself how much I deserved this break. We can’t function at our top capacity 100% of the time, it is the time that we start scheduling outbreaks, away from technology, away from distractions and just enjoy the people we love and the things we love to do.
How did I feel coming home to it all?
On the plane home I felt so relaxed, but then the day after I was overwhelmed with inspiration to work – while it wasn’t quite a productive day, I formulated a plan to get all stuff done and wrote downloads and loads of thoughts, recipes ideas, business ideas, you name it and felt so incredibly inspired. Before my break, I was struggling to slog through my study and NOW I can’t wait to get back to it and all the other exciting things I am working towards. Why the change? Because I felt so well rested, I had the time to reset my mind and focus on what was important to me!
While taking a holiday isn’t always a possibility there are ways you can do things around the house to take a break from work, study, and technology and reset your mind every week:
1. Meditate
Ok, this is probably the most effective, but for me the most difficult. I find it near impossible to switch my mind off unless I am doing something else. CUE….
2. Baking
This is a given for me, but seriously try it. Losing yourself in your cooking is one of the best feelings. If you are making a cake, appreciate the ingredients you are putting in and how they change as they come together, appreciate the texture, colour and aromas of the cake – This will take you right out of your head and into the bowl! Try it out with my easy chocolate cake!
3. Exercise
This can be an ab workout at home, or a walk around the block, or pumping the tunes and losing yourself in weights at the gym. Take 30mins to get your heart pumping and switch your mind off!
4. Journaling
This one especially helps on those sleepless nights when you can’t switch your mind off. Leave a notepad or diary next to your bed, before you go to bed write down everything you are thinking and feeling – no matter what it is. Remember this is for your eyes only after all! By doing this you are performing a physical act which shows the brain that it can stop thinking about these things as you have them written down so you won’t forget them!
5. Read
There is nothing like a good book to captivate your attention, enter you into a different world and turn your mind away from thoughts of daily tasks. I love reading ‘self-help’ books, but to completely switch off I always turn to a good fiction novel!
6. If all else fails…. Put on a cheesy movie
While this isn’t technically getting away from technology it still has the same effect as a novel. It allows you to switch off and get engrossed in a different world. So if in doubt put on your favorite TV show or movie and chill out!
Hope you find something helpful here! If you have your own unique way of taking a break share it in the comments below!
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Shelley xx
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