Of course everyone loves to go on vacation, but did you know that there is a significant healing benefit of taking time off?
So many of you are living over-scheduled, stressful lives. This fast-paced living puts your brain in sympathetic dominance. Once the brain starts operating from sympathetic dominance, it is very difficult to get it to relax. For many of you, you may be noticing that the weekends do not provide enough time to calm your brain.
Going on vacation and taking extended time off can dramatically upregulate your parasympathetic nervous system. Your parasympathetic nervous system is your “Rest and Digest” nervous system, and it is greatly under-utilized.
A couple of things to think about for those of you that will be taking time off this summer.
1. Sleep
Research shows that you can’t catch up on lost sleep; however, vacation does provide a perfect opportunity to get more sleep than you get during your work week. Your body heals the best when you are sleeping, as your cerebrospinal fluid washes your brain and pulls toxins out. Make sure that you are shutting off your morning alarm so that you can maximize the healing benefits of sleep.
2. Mental Stimulation
One of the most toxic lifestyle habits that I see in today’s world is that we are constantly
using our brains. Even though you may meditate daily and be in ketosis, your poor brain needs a break. Vacation can be a great time to take a break and minimize the information coming at you.
3. Connection
Many of you will be vacationing with loved ones this summer. This is such a valuable time to slow down, put your phone away, and really connect with the people that mean the most to you. Connecting with your loved ones has a massive hormonal response in your body that can help you long after the vacation is over. When you are surrounded by people you love, your body is releasing oxytocin. Oxytocin is the master control of all hormones. When oxytocin goes up, cortisol goes down, and your sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone can balance out. See the interview I did with Dr. Anna Cabeca on the power of oxytocin.
As always I hope this helps! Enjoy your time off with loved ones!
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