The Quick Getaway

Vacation. Holiday. Retreat. The slightest thought of these words conjures up exotic and relaxing images of white, sandy beaches, tall, swaying palm trees, and clear, turquoise water. You heart longs to escape to the beaches but lack of time and money makes this dream vanish. So, like a mischievous child, you plan a quick getaway.

What do I mean by a quick getaway? Quick escapes are stolen moments of time; minutes taken every day to cope with the stresses of life. Getaways can be physical, mental, or spiritual and include everything from a few minutes to a full day. And, these getaways are personal; they contribute to your happiness and help minimize daily tension.

Since most of us spend the majority of our lives at a job, and we often experience conflict while working, it makes sense to escape during coffee breaks and lunch hours. This is a better alternative than always using free time to run errands.

What are great work escapes? This’ll depend on you. Some people take walks, peruse books in bookstores, exercise at the gym, visit with colleagues, read, listen to MP3s, shop, or sip coffee…the list is endless.

Taking a break is not wasting time; you’ll be more effective if you switch gears for a few minutes. Experts say that productivity dips after 90 minutes; this is the maximum amount of time that people can focus on the task at hand. Remember the law of diminishing returns.

If time is of the essence, and you only have a few minutes to take a mini holiday, create an escape box. Create your own portable escape box for home and work.

What’s an escape box? It’s a container made of cardboard, wood, or plastic and filled with objects that are nurturing for you.

For example, your box may contain pictures of a recent Mexican trip, mini piñatas, stress relief books, a journal and pen, a deck of cards, rocks, incense, tea, and pictures of your family. When you’re feeling depressed or overwhelmed, you open the box and have a quick mental getaway.

Lately, the world seems chaotic and overwhelming, and people are responding by cocooning – spending more time in their houses. They crave a home base – a place to unwind and feel safe.  Thus the explosion of home improvement shows on television.

Your home should be clean and filled with things that have meaning for you. This might include furniture you discovered at an antique shop, window treatments you made, gifts from friends, photos of family... What you don’t want is a space that constantly needs to be remodeled, repainted, cleaned, and changed. You’ll never relax.

Everyone needs their own space in a home so they can be alone without family or friends interrupting them.

Create your own personal sanctuary by using an empty room, a corner of the family room, or a shelf to store important objects. You need a place for quiet reflection, journaling, reading, or relaxing – it’s a key to your sanity.

Quick getaways offer respite from the pace and intensity of modern life. You may not have the luxury to take much time from work, or money for a long-deserved beach holiday, but you may gain more than you imagined from quick everyday getaways.

Lisa Rickwood, B.F.A., is passionate about helping people slow down and enjoy their lives. She is the founder of Escape The Pace^®, a business dedicated to helping people live a happier, relaxed life while pursuing careers, raising families, and making their dreams come true. This was a spin-off from her highly regarded book, Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Life. Lisa has helped dozens of professionals, entrepreneurs, and executives improve their lives by offering: seminars, play-shops, keynote talks, books, greeting cards, gift boxes, e-books, and an e-zine.

Lisa was born in Vancouver, Canada, and raised in the Okanagan in British Columbia. She has a visual art degree from the University of Victoria and is an accomplished international visual artist. She also spent years working for two large newspapers as an advertising consultant before becoming co-owner of a high-end menswear store with her husband on Vancouver Island. When she’s not at the store or working on her business, she’s taking care of her husband, two sons, and step-son.

She is a sought-after speaker and has lectured at colleges, Health and Wellness Shows, business networks, Rotary Clubs, and large organizations. She is a regular contributor to Woman’s World magazine as well as Synergy and Pure Woman magazine. She has been featured in Common Ground magazine and the The Berkeley Psychic Institute Newspaper. Two well-known U.S. authors will feature her in their books, respectively, Mom CEO and Less Than Perfect.

Lisa is passionate about being involved in a world-wide movement about work/life balance and was asked to participate in a conference in Seattle called: Take Back Your Time (www.timeday.org).  She looks forward to helping others ‘take back’ their lives.