Last year I shared how important it is to take some time to breathe and reflect on a daily basis, when in conflict, and having to make important decisions. It gives us time to uncover our thoughts and have a more informed perspective about the situation. Lately I have been taking some pauses and I will be sharing in a three-part series about my experiences.

This pause was a small vacation.

My husband and I have a toddler that we love, and while we have done some getaways, we hadn't taken time off alone since she was born. An opportunity arose and we jumped on it. The time for our trip finally came and I have to say that it has been immensely better than we expected. It was the refresher we needed.

Our little break was for just a few days at the beach, which we always really enjoy. We "slept in" (no alarm, machine or human, interrupted our slumber) til around 8 AM, went and got breakfast, drove around, did some sightseeing, had lunch, got in the water, and finished with a great dinner.

Nothing extraordinary, right? It did the trick though.

First off, being out in nature grounds you. It reminds you that you are part of something much bigger than you. Out in the ocean surrounded by only water and getting massaged by the waves shows you how vulnerable you are. You can't survive on your own there, and as a human you count as sea creature's meal. We aren't invincible, and even more, anything we create ourselves won't be bigger than something like an ocean or a self-feeding ecosystem.

Rainbow, from beginning to end!

Secondly, doing something you enjoy energizes you. I love going to museums and learning about what's important for the locals. I love eating the traditional food and picking up something that will remind me of this amazing place while I use it in my home life. Experiencing a different culture relaxes my blinders and enriches my peripheral view.

Lastly, it has been so sweet to spend time with my husband. It gave me an opportunity to be grateful for an amazing partner and remind myself why I picked him. We enjoy each other in the day to day but there are too many distractions and things to do. By the end of the day, sitting together in front of the TV is all we want to do with the amount of energy we have left. Just focusing on each other strengthens and energizes us for new challenges and opportunities.

Getting a few days away from the family, house and work responsibilities, to put my feet up in my husband's company, has been an investment into our relationship and my energy bank. Stepping back has allowed us to come back to why we have done and continue to do what we do, and have more of a skip in our step.

Our human body requires us to rest in order to recharge. Listening to it will keep us healthy and equip us to be stronger.

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