To ward off disease or recover health, people as a rule find it easier to depend on healers than to attempt the more difficult task of living wisely. -Rene Dubos
The good feelings of a vacation are indisputable. Psychologist Jessica de Bloom found that “People felt healthier during vacation. They had a better mood. They were less tense, they had a higher level of energy, and they were more satisfied with their life.” And, people who take more vacations are less prone to have depressive episodes. In sum, vacations prevent illness and increase happiness.
As the recipient of a stent in his heart in 2012, husband John knows the value of a winter vacation. “Warm enough, a day’s drive with the dogs, don’t much care otherwise.” A long-term observational study on cardiovascular risk factors reports that men who skipped a vacation for several years in a row were 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack. One factor contributing to death is stress.
John intends to take regular annual vacations and enjoy a lower likelihood of death. I am always interested in out-of-the-way places of natural beach beauty, so I sniffed around till I found Jekyll Island, Ga., a historic winter vacation of the wealthy some decades ago. Warm, hauntingly beautiful, friendly, it held promise.
I also found myself looking forward to easy time with family. A bonus in my life is that I can integrate travel with phone time for clients doing ongoing psychotherapy. And, cognitive science research reports that we are actually more creative if we let our minds wander a bit…
The anticipation of a brand-new island to explore is always delicious for me. My books often begin when I am biking to Bach. Why does biking to Bach stimulate creativity? Allowing time to process the new information, gives me new insights to important questions.
As research shows, allowing our brain to flow allows us to better solve problems and be more creative. Daniel J. Levitin told The New York Times that giving our brains time to wind down and think about nothing at all can provide “our moments of greatest creativity and insight.”
First morning there, just before daylight, our sprightly Portuguese water dog and I set off for the beach just before sunrise. The ocean appeared before us, awash in silvery gold of the pre-sunrise sky.
Oakley trembled from the thrill generated by the smell of driftwood, boulders, ocean and sandpipers worthy of chasing. Knowing she would welcome needed movement, I unsnapped the leash.
We had spent years together on our Cape May County beaches, teaching her to run off leash, and then circle back for a treat from my hand. Her track record was flawless: she had never run away.
At first, she was all too happy running in circles for a treat, just as I had trained her to do. But, after about 20 rounds of perfect obedience, with no prior notice, Oakley hit the beach running. Dashing helter skelter through the cold January Atlantic surf, my eye could barely trace her image.
Soon all I could see was a long black line moving in the ocean near water’s edge. Terrified that she could get lost where nobody knew us, I thought about calling 911 if all else failed. To catch her attention, I belted, “Oakley…co-ome!” And again and again, “Oakley co-ome!”
Discouraged and ready to give up, I suddenly noticed that she had turned on her heels in the surf: the long black line was getting fuller as she approached me nearer and nearer. As fast as she had left me, Oakley ran towards me, stopped suddenly in front of me, as if to say “No worries, Mom. I always come home. Got a treat?” I gave her two tiny treats and we walked home as the sun moved full force into the morning sky.
A TED-x talk by Ian Cole summarizes the components of my vacation success.
- Positive Anticipation. We want to look forward to a pressure release valve. My anticipation of the ocean and biking preceded the vacation itself.
- Relaxation enhances and sustains happy memories of our vacations. I began to relax on the drive down by cuddling with our dogs in the van.
- Capitalization. We remember our vacation memories longer when we share our favorite vacation stories. My story of Oakley’s need to hit the beach running would delight others who know her, and lock in the memory for me.
- Be up for an adventure. My adventure with Oakley was a highlight of that day.
To Consider: This winter, what will enhance your enjoyment of this season? Will you create the opportunity for yourself? Why? Why Not?
To Read: Rene DuBos. Pulitzer Prize book, 1968, So Human The Animal. Scribners and sons.
Find Dr. Judith Coche working with clients this winter at The Coche Center, LLC, a Practice in Clinical Psychology in Stone Harbor and Rittenhouse Square. Find her at www.cochecenter.com
