Practice fully enjoying each moment

I’m on vacation this week.  Yes, literally, in beautiful Rhode Island for the beach, the parade and the chill-out factor.  But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of vacation mind, and putting it into practice in my daily life a bit.

What is “vacation mind”?  Picture yourself on vacation: you browse through a magazine, you walk by some shops, enjoy a nice meal out, sipping a glass of wine.. not worrying about what other things you should be doing, your to-do list, or your schedule.  Life is abundant with pleasant things.

Now, picture yourself on a work-day: you are trying to finish one task, while simultaneously worrying about the others – thinking that there might be a better, or more efficient way to be spending your time. You are in a stressed out and anxious.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have vacation mind every day?

Leo Babuta over at Zen Habits, writes:

So what does it look like when you apply vacation mind to work? You let go of the anxiety. You aren’t worried about getting it all done, or doing the right thing right now, or all the things you have to do later. You are immersed in enjoying whatever you’ve chosen to do right now.

Vacation mind is really mindfullness – enjoying the present moment and being immersed in the thing at hand, but I really like thinking about as vacation mind because then it is fun!

The key is to let go of anxieties, which means noticing when anxiety comes up, seeing the source of the anxiety (worrying about how something might look, if it will go well, controlling the outcome, etc.), and then letting go of the necessary worries that are causing you to suffer.  We can also practice letting go of anxiety about time: yes, we should be often be prompt, but where are the places that we can let go of the worry about it?

The final step to finding vacation mind during your average day is practice enjoying right now!  Can you try to notice the incredible tree as you walk outside?  Take a moment of gratitude for the wonderful things in life?

You enjoy breathing in and breathing out and you can touch the wonders of life in the present moment. When we are mindful of our body and what is going on around us we are in a situation to touch the miracle of life that is going on around us. This present moment is full of wonders. -Thich Nhat Hanh

Is this something you can practice in your life?  My motto is “progress, not perfection,” because I’m far from it!

Be well,

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