A story is told of a man who was so stressed by everything and the people around him.
His workplace was toxic. His wife was a nag and she was draining his energy. His friends were fake and back stabbers. His relatives were too demanding and unappreciative.
He couldn’t with everything and everyone around him.
So, he decided to take a well-deserved “vacay”. He booked and paid for an expensive holiday destination for one week, at least to catch a break from all the negative energy in his life.
He wanted to have some “me” time without thinking about work or anyone else.
He arrived at his vacation hotel, looking forward to having a good rest and peace of mind.
On the first day in his vacation, he still felt stressed. On day two, three and four he was still unhappy. A week later he still hadn’t found peace of mind.
So, why couldn’t he find peace of mind despite being away from the toxic people?
Why didn’t he find rest despite being away from work?
Why couldn’t he find reprieve from stress despite being alone in an expensive holiday destination?
Because he went to the vacation with himself.
Life is life
Fabio is a mental health professional, researcher and lecturer of psychology at Kenyatta university.