Why Vacations Are Important

Lately my life was, in a way, spiraling out of control. I didn't know what to do, I was scared, I was stressed, I was going out of my mind. Then my mom took us all to Portland for an impromptu vacation. We left the day she told us we were leaving.

And it has been the awesomest couple days ever. I feel rejuvinated. I feel relaxed and refreshed. Suddenly all those problems and all that loss of control earlier wasn't as horrible as I thought it was. A little distance, and I realized the only real problems were some of my habits, and my perspective. Thanks to the vacation I was able to calm down, re-energize my dreams and passions and goals, and deal with my problems.

When things are getting crazy and confusing and you feel lost and stressed, get some distance. There are two sure-fire ways to get distance:

1. Go on vacation. Spend a few days with a friend in a new city, or by yourself, just lazing around and having fun. Like a spa day. Once you feel better, come back and deal with things. This is the more expensive way.
2. Write your problems down. This allows you to seperate yourself from your problems, look at them critically, and then deal with them. This is the ridiculously cheap way, and also the quickest.

The important thing about distance is that it allows you to calm down. When you're stressed and frustrated and highly emotional, it's hard to look at things rationally. Giving yourself some distance allows you to calm down and come back to the situation with your brain working normally again.

If your problem still seems hopeless after getting some distance, don't freak out. Talk to someone who can help, be that an microbiology expert, a doctor, or a knowledgable family member, whoever can help you solve your problems.

Remember: Don't panic. Give yourself some distance. :)