I was on the flight back from Fuerteventura and really wanted to turn around. Not because life at home is bad, but because I knew exactly what was waiting for me.
Fuerteventura is my place of power. No people, just sand and rocks, volcanoes that have stood there for 20 million years. This sense of permanence has a profound effect on me: everything I currently consider urgent loses its sense of dread there. And then there’s that Spanish lightheartedness: the quiet acceptance that it’s okay if not everything is perfect. No one is rushing; no one is already planning the next day over lunch. For us as independent women, who usually just carry our own expectations around with us, that’s more than just relaxation.
My cell phone starts vibrating in the baggage claim area. The next morning: 73 emails, everyone wants something, and after 40 minutes, that vacation feeling is gone. I’m self-employed part-time with re·set, so completely unplugging is an illusion for me anyway. But that moment after vacation still hits me every time. Sound familiar?
Why This Is No Coincidence
On vacation, stimuli are reduced to a minimum. Your mind clears, and your stress response system winds down. Back home, this very state is met with a barrage of stimuli, without any transition. The problem isn’t your everyday life. It’s the shift between these two worlds.
The fallacy behind this: Rest is viewed as an exceptional circumstance.
Vacations are great, but everyday life is a must.
We just muddle through from one vacation to the next, instead of asking ourselves how we could achieve that state in the meantime.
As self-employed people, we know this all too well. Our minds keep working in the background, even when our bodies have long since been relaxing on the beach. It often takes until the fourth or fifth day to truly let go. And that’s exactly when the flight back is.
What Really Helps
The body remembers through the senses, not through thoughts. Songs that remind me of Fuerteventura instantly transport me back to that feeling. Just like the souvenir on the fridge that you never throw away. Or the vacation T-shirt that somehow fits differently at home. Your body still remembers where you were and how you felt at the time.
- 10 minutes offline in the morning. Orange juice, coffee, no cell phones. Just being there, like on the finca’s terrace.
- Real breaks. Not the kind where you just quickly get something done. Go outside, get some fresh air. Climb a mountain, or maybe just take a trip to the lake.
- One thing at a time. No more than five tabs. Finish one task, then move on to the next. That’s how we do it on vacation, too.
re·set is based on this principle: creating sensory anchors in everyday life that allow you to consciously trigger a sense of relaxation—through puzzles, scents, and guided meditation. No suitcases, no gates, no waiting.
What I’ve learned over time: If you make time for little breaks here and there, eventually you’ll find yourself looking forward to your next flight with less anticipation.
Rest doesn’t have to be something you work toward. It can become a rhythm.
I’m flying to Fuerteventura again. But I’m not waiting for it.
About the author
Jenniffer Feder ist Gründerin von re•set – einem achtsamkeitsbasierten Kreativkonzept, das Puzzles, Aromatherapie und Meditation vereint. Mit ihren Entspannungsboxen schafft sie ganzheitliche Erlebnisse, die Achtsamkeit, Kreativität und innere Ruhe im Alltag fördern. Sie steht für eine moderne, alltagstaugliche Achtsamkeit, die für alle Menschen zugänglich ist – unabhängig von Vorerfahrungen. Aus ihrer eigenen Krankheitserfahrung heraus engagiert sie sich besonders für Stressprävention und die Entstigmatisierung psychischer Erkrankungen. Ihre Vision: mentale Gesundheit darf schön, kreativ und selbstverständlich sein.
