Summer is rapidly approaching and many of us have our plans in place. Sadly, though, some of us don’t know what we want to do and that usually means that we end up doing nothing. I know it’s sad because I am one of the people still figuring things out. Although this year, I am determined to have my feet planted in the warm sand on a beach somewhere.
Of course, the summer always feels like an ideal time to take a trip, but the opportunity to travel is available year-round and many of us ignore it—especially when we have children and get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities that come with family life. Often we have legitimate financial reasons, but even when we don’t, taking some time to escape and enjoy life takes a backseat to everything else going on.
If you haven’t made plans yet to getaway this year (sans little ones), here are a few signs that you need to escape—soon.
You are both exhausted. Have you ever been exhausted for so long that it just starts to feel like the norm? I’ve been there, so I understand. Life is busy and we all have too much to do. The thing is, being exhausted shouldn’t be a way of life. When you remain exhausted for too long you end up feeling depleted. Time away allows you to get some much-needed rest and restoration. When you are exhausted your body is sending you a message. Listen and give it the response it needs.
You can’t remember the last time you spent a night away from your kids. We all love our kids, but let’s be real—a little time away from them can do your relationship some good. And frankly, time to relax and reconnect will ultimately make you better parents. I know you love your little ones and separating from them can be tough, but everyone is better off when you do it, and you don’t need to get away for long for it to be effective.
You can barely find time for intimacy. When you feel like you have to whip out your calendar and schedule a date to have sex, you could probably benefit a lot from some private time that allows for spontaneous intimacy. It will help you reduce your stress level and will allow you to connect with your mate.
Your relationship feels stale. Pushing through all the day-to-day madness without ever taking a break can leave you feel like your relationship is as stale as week-old bread. Don’t just sit and watch all the spice slip away from your relationship without doing anything. Escape for a bit and bring some life back into what you have. Living in a stale relationship will lead to bigger problems down the line.
You’ve been putting off a trip away for years. Life has this way of throwing obstacles our way at every turn. I get it. But even if your finances aren’t quite right, or it seems like you have too much going on, I urge you to try and at least take an overnight trip so you can reconnect, enjoy each other and get some rest. You can put things off for an eternity unless you simply decide to make it a priority.
You are waiting for the perfect moment to go. There is no perfect moment. It doesn’t exist. And as soon as you think the perfect moment is upon you, something goes wrong. Don’t wait for perfection. When it comes to planning an escape, a moment that is “good enough” will do.
The mere thought of escaping makes you smile. When the idea of doing something makes you smile from ear to ear, you have to make it happen. Depriving yourself of the joy you deserve is unhealthy. If the thought of escaping makes you that happy, it’s because you need it—probably more than you know.
BMWK family, when was the last time you and your sweetie escaped?