A couple of years ago, my son and his family moved to Topsail Island, a barrier island south of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Only one roadway, Island Drive, runs north to south, which means it is molasses-thick with traffic in the summer, especially on weekends when tourists are either leaving or arriving at the houses they’ve rented for the week. Grocery stores on or near the island are packed on weekends as well, their aisles teeming with shoppers loading up on supplies.

This past Labor Day weekend brought a staggering number of visitors. Island Drive was jammed with vehicles, the beaches with bodies, towels, and tents.

Then came Tuesday, the end of summer, and beeping horns, exhaust fumes, bike riders, and crowds on the beach and in the stores all vanished as if by some magical snap of the fingers.

September will bring a few more tourists, but by October those few permanent island residents like my son will no longer have to figure in the traffic when making plans for a day. The only people on the beaches will be locals taking their exercise or fishermen at the surf’s edge hoping to snag a bluefish or a red drum. For the next six months, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Topsail Island is as tranquil as a cemetery.

This is the time that the year-rounders call “locals’ vacation.” The tourists had their vacation and now the locals have theirs.

Minor Revelations

After my son told me this, a metaphor came to me. That beach crowd and traffic represent our daily lives, when we’re working, running to make deadlines, driving kids to ballet or sports events, all while trying to keep up with texts and missed calls. Our version of the “locals’ vacation” is that precious time we snatch to step away from the rush and hubbub, and give ourselves, the locals if you will, a mini vacation, if only for a few minutes.

Researchers have long known that even short breaks can bring refreshment and a new pair of eyes to a busy day. In considering my metaphor, I realized that I had unthinkingly carved out my own locals’ vacations from my busy day. Here are two simple things that help keep me balanced and restore my spirits when fatigue and stress wear them down.

R&R

In my case, R&R doesn’t stand for rest and relaxation, but for reading and recuperation.

About a year ago, I realized how little time I was spending with a book compared to the hours squandered on news sites or looking at goofy clips on Facebook. Once books were a source of great pleasure, but it seemed as if a digital ether had laid my reading to rest.

With that realization, and through some judicious selections of books, I revived my lost habit of reading and now enjoy a book or two a week. When my thoughts become fogged or tangled, I take a book to the porch or the La-Z-Boy, and spend a quarter hour letting my mind travel in an entirely different direction.

It’s a locals’ vacation par excellence.

Getaways by Phone

About the same time of my reading revelation, I noticed that when worn out or beaten down a phone call with a family member or friend was like a booster shot of sunshine and roses. A 20-minute chat left me upbeat and ready to go back to work for a couple of hours.

Some investigation showed me how and why this booster shot worked. In her article “The Research-Backed Benefits of Calling Friends and Family,” Jill Suttie contrasts texting, which stresses efficiency and what passes for precision, with talking by phone, which brings intimacy and better understanding. One study she cites applied to my situation, “It humanizes the ‘other’ when we hear their voice.” Those words brought the realization that speaking also humanizes me, providing an outlet of relief from solitude and work and pressure.

An article by Nandini Maharaj gave a more scientific reason as to why phone calls with a loved one or acquaintance so often revive me. “When you’re overwhelmed, hearing someone’s voice on the phone can lower stress,” Maharaj writes. “‘Your cortisol levels can drop during a genuine conversation with someone you trust,’ … [while] meaningful interactions can alter your stress response.”

As some of my friends and family members well know, I sometimes get long-winded on the phone, but thanks to them, this locals’ vacation restores my spirit and helps keep my blood pressure low.

Other variations of my locals’ vacation include short naps, a trip to the grocery store, or a walk through the neighborhood. Mundane stuff, yes, but they too are the comforts that clear the mind and polish up the attitude.

When we’ve found those electric moments that recharge our batteries, we’ve found our locals’ vacation.

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This article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal. 

Image credit: NeedPix