Thursday, February 6, 2014

Don’t Pack More Thank You Can Carry


Photo courtesy of Microsoft


When you pack for a vacation, remember to leave any
negative associations/expectations about your trip at home.


 

As I have mentioned in my blog on January 8, 2014, it is very important to devote some time every day to relaxation and chilling out. Your conscious mind and physical body need down time the same way your subconscious mind needs REM sleep and dreams to process information and work through stress while you sleep. With President’s Day upon us, tomorrow marks the start of a three-day weekend for many Americans. Some people will take advantage of the long weekend to go away for a few days of rest and relaxation. Others may opt to take a “staycation” and spend quality time at home with friends and family. And still others may choose to take the next few days to spend quality time alone, going to a health spa to meditate and recharge their emotional batteries.

While you prepare for the weekend, consider which items you absolutely need and want to bring with you and those you can (and should) leave behind. Plane/train/boat tickets, money and I.D., change(s) of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste are obvious items you will need to bring along. If you plan to go skiing or snowboarding, you will probably also want to pack your sports gear for the trip, too. Just as there is limited carrying space in a suitcase, the trunk of your car and in the storage compartments of airplanes, trains and tour buses, I believe that there should also be limited room for the mental scripts that you bring with you on your vacation. “Necessary” items to include in this kind of mental script are: positive emotions and energy about the trip, optimism and alternative strategies or options if you must make an unexpected change of plan. What you do not need to bring on your trip are negative memories/associations with your travel destination and negative emotions (e.g., frustration, pessimism, etc.). If possible, you should also leave your job at home, too.

If you have any anxiety about or negative associations with your vacation destination—for example, if you haven’t been on skis since you had that bad spill two years ago—check out my suggestions for increasing self-confidence in my blog on January 12, 2014. I also provide a generic breathing and relaxation exercise in my blog on February 4, 2014: Here, I teach you an effective technique to replace negative associations with positive ones as you exhale and inhale your breath, respectively.

                I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend, wherever you go and however you spend it.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2014