A Productive Vacation

A productive vacation is everyone’s dream. All of us have vacations at some point in the calendar year For most of us, a vacation is a time to relax and let all the pressures, expectations, ambitions and disappointments disappear for a short time. After the vacation, we need to face all these “demons” of reality all over again, as if the vacation never happened. In such a case, the vacation provides only a momentary respite from our lives. 

But, if we use vacation time only for a good rest, relaxation and doing nothing at all, we needs to seriously re-consider the profession we are in. It might be an indicator that we are not truly happy with our profession (for students, such a feeling is common, however, I will later present arguments that I hope will encourage students to do something during their breaks). It is true that everyone needs time to recharge their batteries before they are able to work at the optimum level. But, rejecting every form of work during a vacation is a mistake. 

Instead, vacation time needs to be managed as effectively as a daily routine. We need to indulge in productive work during our vacations if we really want to accomplish the desires that guide us in our lives. This does not necessarily mean that those who aspire to be doctors need to read all sorts of books and articles during the vacations in order to have a head start over other doctoral candidates. We could do so, but, overburdening the mind with information will not help in the long run. However, for those workaholics who really want to get a head start, keeping yourself away from the vast quantities of information available at your fingertips is inadvisable. 

But, generally, a vacation is a time to recharge our batteries and doing too much work could make our working time counter-productive. So, we face a conundrum. We need to do something productive in our vacations, but at the same time, doing a lot of work is not advised. Then, how can we possibly make our vacation time more fruitful? The answer lies in our daily experiences. We can use our vacation time in order to better understand ourselves. We can find times when we are at peak potential, need of a rest, etc. We can then apply this in times that really matter. 

We could also learn new languages. Learning a language is a dynamic process which keeps the brain fresh and active. Being a multi-lingual is a credit to the person and does not undermine his/her ability in any way. Therefore, why not do something that is really positive? 

Reading books is also a good option. It does not have to be “coursebooks”, factual books or complicated reads. We can read novels, philosophy, biographies, etc. Reading a wide variety of books will help us inculcate a multi-faceted understanding of the world around us. We could also indulge in creative writing. All of these activities promote our development while at the same time, not hindering our vacation time. 

So, the next time you face a dilemma regarding what to do in a vacation, I advise you do something productive that will help you grow as a person. Growth is not something that is limited to times of intense workloads or pressure; in fact, growth can happen at the most unlikely of times.