Taking a break from work isn’t my forte, in truth, I am a confirmed workaholic. Ten, twelve, or fourteen-hour days are easy. When facing a deadline, I can put in sixteen and eighteen hours to complete my project. Balance is difficult to attain. I read the studies and follow the papers reporting the benefits of getting breaks. I understand the concepts, but holidays are torture. My internal voice screams, “Do Something.”

What’s a girl to do? I resort to tricks. During the workweek, I set timers using the 52-minute, 17-minute rule, and I force myself to obey. Vacations require creative solutions. I know my temperament, stay-cations are not an option. I must go away. Even on a budget, there are no-cost or low-cost options. I have organized girlfriend weekends, an adult sleepover where we schedule grown-up daytime excursions. The upside is we get to reconnect with fun adventures.

Other times I have cashed in reward points to use at a local hotel. The trick is to leave all work materials at home and create an over-scheduled, flexible plan. For this hack, I find open-ended or drop-in activities. Planning a visit to the zoo, the art museum, or a walk along the lakefront serves several purposes. It gets me moving and the locations are places where I can lose myself without feeling antsy.

The result is I return from my vacation weekend refreshed, full of new ideas and ready for work.

What vacation activities help you unwind?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer