Happy New Year to all of my readers and followers! I wish you all a fabulous 2017 and I hope it’s filled with many more travels and food journeys. What a week it’s been with so much celebrating over the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period. While I stayed engaged in my yoga practise when classes were available, the days in between were mostly spent sitting and eating. Has it been the same for you? Such indulgences, while fun at the time, can be tiring and taxing on our bodies. Some of us may even need a few extra days to recover from hangovers and/or food comas.
If restorative and replenishing actions aren’t implemented early, the body can be easily led down a rocky path of unhealthy lifestyle practises and sickness. Any health and wellbeing-related resolutions for the New Year may then be shown the door a lot sooner than we want for ourselves. Before you know it, you’re back at work and burning the midnight oil, getting stressed out, overworked and overtired. Then, recurring colds and flus or those general feelings of ‘blah’ or ‘can’t be bothered’ set in. If we’re not sick, we may start resenting our jobs and not feel as engaged as we were on January 1. So, we may even be inclined to what Aussies fondly call ‘chuck a sickie’. Basically, this is the action of calling in sick when you’re not actually sick; you might just be over it all.
A study quoted by one HR firm in Australia found that “83% of employers believe between 10 and 25% of sick leave is non-genuine.” The incidence of “sickies” tends to coincide around public holiday weekends – one third higher on Mondays and Fridays (source: iHR Australia). See, even your employer may be questioning whether you are in fact sick!
Australians also enjoy up to four weeks of paid annual leave per year, so it’s a wonder why Australians are even motivated to chuck sickies. Why not take that that Monday or Friday out of annual leave instead?
Because there are four weeks to take advantage of, annual leave can be spread over a few one-week trips a year, for example, spread out across the year at times when it’s most suitable for you, your employer and your deadlines. Put in just that extra bit of time beforehand and cover off key deadlines before you leave so you don’t have too much stress hanging over your time away. Taking a travel break also allows you to get out in nature, unwind and decompress from any pressures in your work-life. Allow your body to replenish regularly through travel throughout the year, rather than allowing yourself to be trapped by a negative cycle of no motivation and working without a break.
If that cycle doesn’t seem to let up, then you may need to re-assess your job and what matters to you in life. It’s a New Year so make 2017 work for you – with meaning and meaningful travel.
What will you do to incorporate more meaningful travel into your working life for 2017? Do you have any travel plans booked in already?
Share your thoughts and travel ideas or plans in the comments below!
