From Dr. Jane's Notebook

Summer Workaholics II

As we glide into the final weeks of summer, I hope that you will have had the opportunity to fully experience "vacation head." This is "the chance to fully relax in a vacation frame of mind, where the greatest concerns are the amount of sun your body is collecting and where we'll have dinner."

Vacations offer a great many opportunities for renewal and reassessment. As individuals, these are times when we can stretch our definitions of ourselves and add to our lifetime experiences. As couples, a vacation offers the opportunity to re-establish rapport and love in relationships. As families, there is the opportunity for undivided attention to our children, when we can literally "watch them grow" and catch up with the many changes they are experiencing.

Since all of this enlightenment and relaxation usually costs a bundle, it seems only appropriate that we discuss possibilities for maintaining "vacation head" as we inch up on September and brace ourselves for the forthcoming onslaught of autumn activity. To this end, I recommend the following "reduced stress approach to autumn..."

Maintain flexibility and variation in your daily routine to prevent an instant relapse into workaholism. This calls for previewing your schedule and including some daily amount of play to keep the work/play ratio in balance.
Keep your body in shape. When you exercise, you feel better, look better, and work better. When you exercise on a regular basis, you're taking good care of your physical and your mental health.
Reduce the amount of unfinished business in your life. It is enough of a challenge to cope with the issues of today, without carrying around the burdens of yesterday. To the extent possible, tie up loose ends, complete unfinished tasks, and try to resolve uncomfortable relationships. It is often these unfinished problems which drain our energy and cause us to feel burdened and behind.

It is sometimes helpful to make a list of our unfinished business and review the items one-by-one. Some problems are acute, others chronic. Some may require a new strategy; others may be avoided in the future if we understand them.

In sum, before heading into autumn, I suggest that we all check-out our engines and tires, keep ourselves well-oiled, and ready ourselves for a challenging ride...remembering often how good it felt to be on vacation!

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Last Updated November 1, 1998 by Gary M. Grandon, Ph.D.