Rest and Travel

Time to take a break

I’m staring at the computer screen and I feel restless. 

It is 8.30am.

At this time, I am normally super focused, sharp and refreshed from an invigorating early morning walk with my wonderful dogs before the searing summer spanish heat kicks in. 

I know this feeling. 

I have learnt to dial in to it over the years and listen to what my body is trying to tell me. 

I need a break. I need some time out, to get some rest.  

Luckily, I have an incredible trip booked at the end of the summer and I will be able to take time out and do just that.

Rest is so important to our wellbeing and yet it is a concept that seems to have dropped out of our daily narratives. Bravado still goes hand in hand with being ‘busy’, ‘hectic’ and there is still an attitude that almost hero-worships those working long hours and not stopping for air. 

What is rest?

Saru Gupta, leadership coach defines rest beautifully in her LI article.

“Rest is more than the absence of activity; it’s a state where our nervous system is unburdened by the constant need to do, allowing us to be fully present in the moment.”

Rest comes in different forms and it is a critical element of life that our bodies need in order to function properly. 

Claudia Hammond Radio presenter and author of The Art of Rest, talks of Rest on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour Special.

“Rest is something that relaxes you. It’s something that’s intentional, that’s restorative, that leaves you feeling refreshed afterwards. But the key thing is, it doesn’t have to mean doing nothing at all. In fact, lots of people find it very hard to sit and do nothing. It’s really difficult.”

Travel for me has always been the perfect way to get rest. 

I like being busy. I am by nature an active person. 

I get a real buzz just from switching schedules, having a change of scene and challenging myself to something new – be it a trek, sailing, or road trip.

Of course, that is not to say, at the end of the day I may indulge in some quiet time lazing by the pool or have a massage. 

Being able to choose how I navigate my day is part of the restful process.

I can slip into the moment and be at one with time instead of wrestling with it to maximise my productivity. 

Rest and menopause

Emma Jane Bunn of Honor Oak Wellness, highlights in her article how rest becomes even more important for women as we hit our middle years and experience perimenopause and menopause. 

She talks of how easy it is to ignore the “physical, mental and emotional fatigue” that can occur with perimenopausal symptoms.

“If you add to this our tendency as a society to “push through” these symptoms we can so easily start to deplete our scant energy reserves and tip ourselves further towards exhaustion and away from our usually resilient selves.”

MIchelle Travis in her article for Forbes on The Business Case For Supporting Employees Through Menopause highlighted how this shift in energies is affecting how we feel about ourselves and ability to deliver our career

“In a Biote 2022 survey, 17% of women ages 50 to 64 admitted quitting or considering quitting their job due to menopause-related challenges”

As our bodies evolve and we hit our middle years, rest becomes even more important as burnout becomes a real threat. Anyone who is used to higher performance and operating at pace will understand how difficult it can be to adapt to menopause-related challenges.

So, we need to make rest a habit. 

Claudia Hammond offers up great advice on how to embrace rest. She suggests, start small by taking short easy to digest rest breaks 

“Find time to prescribe yourself 15 minutes of rest each day. Then put rest breaks in your diary like appointments.”

Travel to rest

So for me, I like to apply this philosophy to short trips. 

Every time I take a short trip or a break, I book another one in my diary. Having planned downtime in my diary, ensures I have some rest time booked in. 

I’ve always loved working hard, throwing all I have into my businesses. 

Short breaks help me stay on top of my game. 

Give me time to rest. 

At Travel with Abeona, we offer a range of luxury travel experiences for women travelling alone.

To begin your luxury solo female travel journey get in contact with our team of luxury travel planners by email abeona@travelwithabeona.com and we’ll be in touch to hear all about your trip so you can stop dreaming and start planning.