Hardworking writer, Melinda Beck, writes a humorously well-research article on what stops the mind from leaving the office even though you are on vacation.

Sound familiar? Has this kind of anxiety gone on holiday with you?

Honestly, this seems to fit in with the idea that our minds are the source of our feelings, actions, and ultimately, how we are capable of coping with stress in our day to day lives.

Have a read and don’t forget to leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Why Relaxing Is Hard Work

You’re on Vacation, but the Brain Is Wired to the Office; Some Tactics to Detach

The water’s blue, the waves are lapping. Geez, it’s hot. Do I have enough sunscreen on? Why did I wear this bathing suit? How long have we been here? I wonder what’s happening at the office. Have they finished that project? Where is that cellphone? Wait, don’t tell me there’s no service!

Can’t slow down? Even on vacation? You’ve got plenty of company.

Only 53% of working Americans say they come back feeling rested and rejuvenated after vacation, and 30% say they have trouble coping with work stress while they’re away, according to an Expedia.com survey of 1,530. Some try to cram in so much activity that they come back more exhausted than when they left. Others stay so plugged on BlackBerrys and cellphones that colleagues and clients don’t even suspect they’re away.

Attempting to relax even makes some people sick. Some 3% of the population suffers from “leisure sickness” when they go on vacation. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle pain, nausea and flu-like symptoms, according to a 2002 study in the Netherlands. And a phenomenon of “weekend headaches” accounts for roughly one-third of all migraines and one-sixth of tension headaches.”It’s been my experience that an ‘out of office’ response means nothing anymore,” says Edward T. Creagan, a medical oncologist who writes the Mayo Clinic’s stress blog. “We’re driving ourselves wacko with no time to power down.”

Faced with a threatening situation, the body’s primitive “fight or flight” mechanism pumps out adrenaline that primes the body for action, raising the heart rate, tensing muscles and slowing digestion. But when the threat is an impending layoff or demanding client, the state of alarm never dissipates, raising the risk for high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, chronic pain and a weakened immune system. It can also bring on depression, anxiety and exhaustion.

For some people, the withdrawal of stress can be similar to withdrawing from steroids—including changes in glucose metabolism and dramatic mood swings, says Conor Liston, a psychiatry resident at Weill Medical College in New York City who was the lead investigator of a brain study on stress.

Other people seem to get so addicted to the adrenaline rush from stress that they gravitate to high-pressure jobs and keep piling on new challenges; some subconsciously push deadlines and complicate projects, creating stress unnecessarily.

Put someone like that on a beach for a week, and it’s no wonder they can’t relax. For them, the best vacations involve physical or mental stimulation, anything from hang-gliding to culinary classes.

“I can sit on a beach for, like, 15 minutes, then it’s ‘OK, what’s next?’ ” says Vaughn Payne, a cardiologist in eastern Kentucky who runs four to six miles most weekdays before doing hospital rounds, seeing 30 or more patients and studying for his M.B.A. at night. “He’ll occasionally sit in front of the TV—with his pager on one armrest, his cellphone on the other and his laptop in his lap,” laughs his wife, Debby.

Of course, many people who work hard can disengage when they want to. “The hard worker in the office is dreaming about being on the ski slope. The workaholic is on the ski slope dreaming about being in the office,” says Bryan E. Robinson, author of “Chained to the Desk, a Guidebook for Workaholics.” He says true workaholics are driven less by real workplace demands than by low self-esteem and fear of inadequacy. They bring all those feelings with them on vacation, along with added guilt of being away.

“For a lot of workaholics, work alleviates anxiety, and when you are not working, the anxiety bubbles up,” says Dr. Robinson, who says that he used to pretend to rest—and secretly work instead—while his family went to the beach. “It calmed me down, like a drink calms an alcoholic,” he says. He hit bottom when his partner left him in 1983 and he sought help in therapy and Workaholics Anonymous.

The author of 25 books on psychology and family, Dr. Robinson, professor emeritus at University of North Carolina at Charlotte estimates that about one-quarter of the population could be classified as workaholic, though it comes in varying degrees. One version is the workaholic who is physically on vacation but mentally still at work. “He may be playing catch with his daughter, but his mind is somewhere else. And she can probably tell, even though she’s only 7,” he says.

Some vacationing workers insist they can be “present” when it counts and still stay connected.

“It’s not the worst situation in the world to be lying on a beach, drinking a margarita, keeping up with email,” says Erika Soto Lamb, an executive at public-relations company Ketchum who went to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with her husband over Memorial Day to celebrate their anniversary. (She left her cellphone behind during their anniversary dinner.) “I’m doing preventative stress so that when I come back on Monday morning, I can get right back into the game instead of having to read a million emails,” she says.

What is the ideal vacation for someone who needs to relax but has trouble doing so?

Try something new. Learning something in a new place can be more relaxing and refreshing than trying to do nothing. While it’s good to get outside your comfort zone, it’s not necessary to explode out of it. “I don’t want to go bungee jumping,” says Matthew Edlund, a sleep expert in Sarasota, Fla., and author of “The Power of Rest” who says he’d much prefer walking through Berlin or Beijing. “You decide what your level of adventurousness is and do it.”

Get physical. Besides releasing endorphins, exercise also burns off excess adrenaline and cortisol. The “flight” can be on the treadmill, after all. If you haven’t been exercising, a vacation can be a good time to start. Even a walk on the beach can be invigorating for a chaise potato. At the other extreme, some people relax by doing marathons or triathlons. But overdoing it be stressful as well.Have a plan, but be flexible. Completely winging it somewhere can be stressful, so have a rough idea of what you’re going to do, but be willing to change it. “If you find that you’re on a beach and you’re bored out of your mind, get up and do something else,” says Dr. Edlund.

“We really weren’t meant to sit at a desk 12 hours a day,” says Dr. Edlund, who recommends that vacationers alternate periods of “food, activity and rest.”

Build in a buffer. Don’t work right up until the moment you leave and head back to work right off the plane. If possible, schedule an extra day off before you depart and another when you come back to dive back in slowly.

Manage expectations. Make sure your colleagues and clients know that you’ll be away and checking in only occasionally; tell those back home the kind of matters you want to be bothered about.

Breathe. As New Agey as it sounds, meditating and paced breathing can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to balance the surges of adrenaline and cortisol that accompany stress, says Dr. Rosch.

Practice mindfulness: Research suggests that focusing the mind on the present moment can have profound effects. Mostly, it involves observing your surrounds without making judgments. Try observing your own feelings.

“Work on not working,” says Dr. Robinson. “With five minutes to think, ask yourself, ‘Why do I work this way? Why am I rushing?’ Most of us keep judging ourselves all the time, workaholics especially. It’s never enough. Examine those feelings. They might lead you to enlightenment.”

(source)

Photo Credits: Sprittibee

Good grief, it’s the middle of winter. If you can’t warm your heart up with a bit nice sunshine, maybe we can help you out by pointing out these lovely winter recipes that you can try out.

I’ve personally tried out the Easy Hot and Sour Soup and it’s absolutely divine for a chilly day.

Have a look at the recipes here (via www.thekitchn.com)

MAY THIS YEAR GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU DESERVE AND DESIRE.

Here’s a picture of the last sunset of the year from Seminyak Beach, Bali.

Here’s what I’d really like to do for 2010:

• Live in 100% state of compassion as much as possible.
• Meditate diligently. Daily, at least 45 mins in the morning.
• Dance regularly, and without need for a reason.
• Chew my food longer (really!) A vedic dietician told me I should chew at least 32 times before swallowing, can anyone verify this?
• Travel to as many hard-to-get-to locations to catch some incredible sunrises. (So far India, Western Australia, Greece, and Canada are on the list)
• Climb at least 4 volcanos this year. There are SO many volcanos in the neighborhood here. It’d be a waste NOT to!
• Collect some unique and ambient audio with my trusty sound-recorder. Like the sounds on the top of a volcano. Ever wondered what that would sound like?

What are YOU going to do this year? Show the world your commitment by sharing them here in the comments!

I love you guys.

One of my heros, Sir David Attenborough, brilliant naturalist, documentary film-maker, and at one point, head of programming for the BBC would be one of the great minds that would inspire the Sacred Scenery project to happen.

And it’s when a hero of this calibre sounds a frightening alarm about the state of our children’s minds, it’s best to take it very seriously.

I’ve been keeping this article around from the Independent in my list of bookmarks for an opportunity to share this with people who are just as passionate about reconnecting with nature. The time has come to pull out this article and sound my own alarm about how our kids might never know this beautiful earth we live in.

Attenborough alarmed as children are left flummoxed by test on the natural world

By Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent

Children have lost touch with the natural world and are unable to identify common animals and plants, according to a survey.

Half of youngsters aged nine to 11 were unable to identify a daddy-long-legs, oak tree, blue tit or bluebell, in the poll by BBC Wildlife Magazine. The study also found that playing in the countryside was children’s least popular way of spending their spare time, and that they would rather see friends or play on their computer than go for a walk or play outdoors.

The survey asked 700 children to identify pictured flora and fauna. Just over half could name bluebells, 54 per cent knew what blue tits were and 45 per cent could identify an oak. Less than two-thirds (62 per cent) identified frogs and 12 per cent knew what a primrose was.

Sir David Attenborough warned that children who lack any understanding of the natural world would not grow into adults who cared about the environment. “The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out,” he said, “and an interest in the natural world doesn’t grow as it should. Nobody is going protect the natural world unless they understand it.”

Fergus Collins, of BBC Wildlife Magazine, said the results “reinforce the idea that many children don’t spend enough time playing in the green outdoors and enjoying wildlife – something older generations might have taken for granted”.

A surprisingly large number of children incorrectly identified the bluebells as lavender, and the deer was commonly misidentified as an antelope.

The newt, recognised by 42 per cent, was mistaken for a lizard while the primrose was thought to be a dandelion.

Experts blamed the widening gulf between children and nature on over-protective parents and the hostility to children among some conservationists, who fear that they will damage the environment. They said that this lack of exposure to outdoor play in natural environments was vital for children’s social and emotional development.

Dr Martin Maudsley, play development officer for Playwork Partnerships, at the University of Gloucestershire, said that adults had become too protective of wild places: “Environmental sensitivities should not be prioritised over children.”

He said: “Play is the primary mechanism through which children engage and connect with the world, and natural environments are particularly attractive, inspiring and satisfying for kids. Something magical occurs when children and wild spaces mix.”

SOURCE

Do you have kids? What steps are you taking to make sure that they know the planet that they live on?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

He’s got a wonderful and enthusiastic personality, he’s astonishingly well-travelled, and he’s also one of the biggest evangelists for personal freedom on the planet. We’ll definitely be talking more about Tom in the days to come.

Well, he’s got some interesting ideas on how people can better utilize our current technology to reconnect our minds with the natural world even though we don’t have the chance to be physically present with nature.

Ideas I agree with as well; it’s pretty much what this blog is about.

Interesting notion? Here’s what he has to say:

Letting Technology Renew Our Connection to Nature

by Tom Mulally

Beauty of the natural world also functions as a natural fix to the stress and sometimes unhealthy aspects of our modern lifestyles. It’s ironic that our amazing technology, while giving us new tools to transform our lives and our world, can also leave us tethered for too many hours a day in front of a computer screen or behind the wheel of a car.

Some have said that we need to develop a new skill in order to live better. It is so easy now, if we are not careful, to get bogged down in all the details and demands that our technology, especially the computerized environments in which we spend so much time and often earn our living, places upon us.

More than ever before, we must make a conscious effort to balance all this technology with encounters with the natural world. It is in our nature to interact with environments that are not man-made, and we ignore this aspect of ourselves at our own peril.

Okay so you live in a city and today, like most days, you’re pretty sure that it would be the best thing for your paycheck if you would stay at the office, just as your employer expects you to. You may be able to let loose when the weekend comes or during a holiday, but realistically who has the ability to go and “interact with nature” as often as they’d like?

I just want to remind people with this short article that this is an area in which our technology can actually be of some additional service to us. If our bodies are stuck in a cubicle our minds most certainly do not need to be. After all, the power in the computer you have in front of you and your Internet connection can give you at least visual access to places you might never be able to go even if you did have the time.

Spend a few minutes gazing at a webcam showing an ocean shore, or the Swiss Alps. Read a story about trekking through the Himalaya by someone who’s actually visited there, and allow your mind to consider for a few moments at least, that you too can witness their majesty one day if you really want to.

Lots of websites have as their focus the natural surroundings that so many of us sorely miss in our everyday lives. Spend a little time with them, allow your mind to wander, and one day your body might follow.

In the meantime even if you did not leave the office, it must be healthy to give yourself an overt reminder that you’re more than an operator of machines, that you are ultimately a natural being with a much much wider perspective than a cubicle can show you.

Do you agree? Do you disagree? What do you think? Tell us!

One of the things that I’m very grateful for being in Bali, is how quiet it is over this normally hectic season.

Having migrated here from some of the biggest cities in the world, it’s a welcome relief not to have a commercial Christmas forced down your throat.

Which leaves us with the opportunity to spend quality time with our loved ones and friends, reflect on the 359 days that have gone past in the year, as well as looking optimistically toward the coming near year.

This year, I urge you to pay special attention to people who are spending this season alone.

While my heart goes out to people enduring blizzards in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Russia, and other places; my heart goes out the most to those suffering from psychological blizzards that leave them feeling colder and more alone than others.

You might already know these people.

Go keep them warm.

Merry Christmas.

John.

A quick note:

I’m off to chat to a DVD producer on seeing how I can put some of these on a high definition DVD. I’ve got a good idea on how these videos can benefit humanity, but I’ll leave it up to the ~Universe~ to see what happens.

One of my favorite places to meditate is on a secret beach about 40 minutes away from Seminyak, the part of Bali where I live.

We trek there before sunrise, just as the sky starts to turn blue from a starlit blackness. The air is wet with the seashore mumbling below the cliffs.

These tide pools are filled with sea urchins, fleeting brittle stars, and an assortment of anemonies, gobies, and shellfish. Barnacles and coral cling onto ancient volcanic rock. The sea filters through a checkerboard of cups and eddies as it retreats with the pre-dawn tide.

When I’d walk around the edges of the pools, I could feel the surface beneath me bristling with energy. You could hear the tide pool clicking, squishing, and whispering with movement, feeding, and breathing.

Each tide pool would be inhabited by a mix of creatures, decorated with a random arrangements of detritus and rocks. Each morning, after the tide recedes, a new arrangement.

It’s very real example of impermanence. We live in impermanence too, but we perceive it very differently. Living things inside the tide pool cope with change every 6 hours. How do we cope with change?

What is there in this tide pool that is REALLY permanent?

Ask yourself “What am I attached to that is REALLY permanent?”

What do you think?

4 Royalty + Copyright Free Sunrise Photographs.

A quick note. It’s my birthday today and I decided to spend the day in happy gratitude for all the comments, emails, and suggestions that I’ve been receiving over the past few days.

My Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder is a -very- real physical and psychological issue.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, spring or autumn, repeatedly, year after year. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), SAD is not a unique mood disorder, but is “a specifier of major depression”.

~ Wikipedia

5 birthdays ago, I would change the wallpaper of my computer into as many photographs of the sun as I could collect. I spent a lot of time in front of the screen, so it really helped me, in a very deep, spiritual way to remind me that the sun was shining out in the world and still in warm in my heart.

This year seems particularly special to me because through many little miracles, I’ve realized that it’s a calling for me to be able to share with you all these Sacred Scenes on our blog.

So I’ve put together some of my favorite high-res photographs that you can use to wallpaper your computer desktops, and be reminded that sometimes the best miracles are the ones right in front of you.

(These pictures are for -you-. Royalty-free. Copyright-free. Do as you wish. But credit me if you feel like it!)

Here’s the link:

(Right Click Here & Save As)

PS: I had a lightbox too, keeping it around was handy, and I’m sure it helped. But it was the powerful visual imagery of the sun that would really bring my mind into a good state. Try it out. Let me know how it goes for you!

We’d love to know how you’re finding our very first video. Your feedback is valuable to us to be able to help produce better content each time.

How are you using the video?
How does it make you feel?
Do you get much sun where you are?

I love you guys. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

If you don’t already have it, you can either sign up on the box to the right to download it, or check your email for the special download link that we send to everyone who signs up for our updates.

Here are some ideas that you can use to make the best out of your sunrise video.

Quick, centered, meditation.

Take a deep breath, and follow the rise of the sun as it breaks through the horizon, pushing the clouds away, and illuminating the sky.

As a calming distraction.

If you’re watching the video on an iPhone, iPod or any other portable device, watch the video while you are commuting to work or when you are really stressed.

This works especially well for people who travel via underground subways that are devoid of sunlight.

Focusing on gratitude.

Contemplate on what you are grateful for. What simple things bring you the greatest joy. Let the assured-ness of the sunrise let you realize what a wonderful world we live in and help to bring you that clarity.

Inspiration.

The sun has broken many creative blocks from many artists, musicians, and writers. What can the sunrise do to help you with your creative ideas? Contemplate the colors, the waves, even the birds that fly into view of the camera.

Mentally manifesting the sun (when there isn’t any)

Particularly in winter time, when the hours of the sun are short and the weather is getting colder. You can use this sunrise to help warm your heart in these VERY difficult times. It definetly helped me out.

PS: I’ll tell you about my Seasonal Affective Disorder story one of these days. It would actually inspire me to start the SacredScenery.com project.

Finally… (unofficially)

As suggested by my 10 year old nephew:

Kill Vampires.

However. This remains untested and we don’t recommend flashing your iPhone in front of a vampire if you were being attacked by one. I would suggest running away instead.

How will YOU use your portable sunrise? Tell us in the comments!