We're Not Vacationing Enough

It’s no accident this was one of our favorite vacations.

We consciously planned to not have a plan.

We decided to go with the flow of whatever we felt like doing from day-to-day during our stay in Vancouver, British Columbia, in July. And we found it easier than ever to be spontaneous thanks to travel blogs, which we would check at the beginning of our day, depending on what we wanted to do. For instance, we knew we wanted to find a dog-friendly beach for our cavalier King Charles spaniel, Harry. And we were thrilled to learn that it came with a stunning view of Vancouver’s skyline.

Harry had a blast. He got to play around in the salt water of English Bay and dig for critters trying to evade his paws in the muddy bottom.

On this trip, we didn’t have to deal with ugly crowds backed-up at TSA since we were able to drive. Plus, the drive from Seattle to Vancouver is gorgeous and easily doable. So the drive didn’t wear us out either.

To say we came back home feeling refreshed is an understatement.

But nearly half of American workers don’t take all the time off they’re allotted, according to Pew’s 2023 survey. Of those workers, 52% feel they don’t need more time off than they take. And 49% are worried they’ll fall behind at work if they use all of their vacation time.

I find this sad.

We all need time to be unscheduled.

And psychiatrist Stuart Brown argues play is as important as “sleep and nutrition.”

Hopefully by now we understand how important unstructured play is for children. We need it for ourselves, too.

With Labor Day having passed and the calendar saying there are fewer than two weeks left of summer, don’t let your brain tell you that you’ve missed your opportunity for this year. Even if your family circumstances won’t allow you to take a vacation without your kids, the holidays will be here before you know it.

Give yourself a chance to unplug from work emails and social media and plug into your and your family members’ inner lives, that part of us that is authentic and playful and fun.

The death toll keeps rising in Morocco, where an earthquake on Friday killed more than 2,000 people. Another 2,421 others are hurt, “many critically,” according to the BBC.

I was struck by the perspective of a journalist with expertise on the area who told the BBC World Service that it will be a huge challenge to address the mental health needs of the survivors since seeking psychological help is not a cultural norm in Morocco.

TIME magazine has a list of organizations that are planning to help people in the region. It notes Doctors Without Borders will be among them but does not yet have “an established presence” in Morocco.

Magic mushrooms may become legal in California

As psychiatrists and mental health therapists continue to study the effectiveness of psychedelics in relieving the symptoms of PTSD and depression, California’s governor is being asked to make a group of natural psychedelics legal for those 21 and older.

The LA Times notes that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has until October 14 to decide whether to sign the bill. If the measure becomes law, it would take effect on January 1, 2025.

Advocates for military veterans believe the measure is a literal lifesaver. But Democrats are divided about the idea, the paper notes.

Yale settles mental health case

We’re always urging young people to seek help for mental health issues. But what if you were a college student and might lose insurance coverage if you took a break from classes?

That is exactly the conundrum students at Yale found themselves in prior to the settlement of a federal discrimination lawsuit.

While covering the settlement this weekend, NPR spoke with a WashU psychiatrist who says it’s a shame campuses are waiting until they’re sued to make changes.

“And that isn't always the greatest, but it often leads to a lot of change,” said Dr. Jessi Gold. “And I think when you see another university, especially one that is well-known, going through something like this, it leads you to think about your policies and leads you to change them. So I do think it is a common conversation to talk about leave, to talk about supporting students appropriately and making sure you don't also end up in the papers.”

Podcast launch

Thank you to everyone who’s giving the podcast version of We’ve Got Issues a listen. We launched it on Thursday.

Alex Walker, the new managing editor at the Nexstar-owned Fox affiliate in Sacramento, is our first guest. He is so enlightening. We had a deep conversation about what it’s like to be a family member of a gun violence victim and see the story on TV. It happened to him as a child when his uncle was murdered. And it informs the type of broadcasts he now puts on the air.

You can hear our debut episode below:

Have a great week!

~ Matt