Your vacation doesn’t have to be dead time when it comes to self-improvement.

对于自我提升这件事来说，假期并不一定得是空窗期。

You can boost your skills while relaxing and de-stressing.

在休闲减压的同时，你也可以精进自己的技能。

In other words, your vacation can be a great time to improve your emotional intelligence—and still thoroughly¹ remain in vacation mode.

换句话说，假期其实非常适合你提升自己的情商，而同时，你也完全可以沉浸在休假模式中。

Since that’s one of the most important job skills on the market right now, it’s worth taking a page or two from the most emotionally intelligent vacationers’ play books.

既然情商现在已经是就业市场里最重要的几个技能之一，那么向高情商的人借鉴一些旅游经验想必就是一件值得做的事情。

1. THEY USE THE TIME TO SELF-REFLECT

他们利用这段时间来自省。

As the pace of things slackens, ask yourself:

随着生活节奏放慢，问问自己：

· What kind of people irritate me?

什么样的人会惹我生气？

·What kind of people am I drawn² to?

什么样的人会吸引我？

· Who do these people remind me of?

而这些人又会让我想到些什么？

Being in a laid back, relaxed state is an excellent time to do some self-reflection.

处在这种悠闲、慵懒的环境中时，正是适合自省的时候。

So sure, have a cocktail³ or dive into a book, but carve out some time just to be alone with your thoughts.

所以嘛，来一杯鸡尾酒、啃一本书是挺不错的，不过也要计划出一些独处的时间来思考思考哦。

2. THEY LOOK FOR WAYS TO EMPATHIZE

他们会设法去共情

Most people do this in their own heads anyway when they’re traveling overseas or someplace unfamiliar⁴.

很多人无论去哪里旅行的时候都会在脑子里这么做。

Notice people and their facial expressions, their posture⁵, dress, and manner of walking—these are all great ways to gather clues about what’s going on with them.

注意观察人们的面部表情、姿势、穿着、走路方式——这些都能很好地告诉你他们正在经历些什么。

In fact, you can assume this mind-set even when you’re going to a movie, out to eat, or to a live performance.

实际上，你甚至可以在去看电影的时候、出去吃饭的时候、去看演出的时候做这些事。

3. THEY PRACTICE POLITE ASSERTIVENESS⁷

他们会练习有礼貌地表达坚定的立场

Many people struggle with asking for what they want.

很多人在想要提要求的时候都觉得难以开口。

Emotionally intelligent people realize that the worst that can happen is getting a no, in which case they’re no worse off than before asking for something they want.

而高情商的人则知道：最坏的结果也不过是被拒绝，这就和他们问之前没啥两样。

You might think of the boardroom as the real place to be more assertive⁶, but vacation is actually just as good a time to stretch your “asking muscles.”

你可能以为董事会的办公室才是你该表达立场的地方，不过其实假期正是一个适合练习“提要求”的好时机。

When you check into your accommodation⁸, try asking for an upgrade. If there’s a problem with your meal, tell the server.

当你去前台登记住宿的时候，试试要求他们给你升个级。如果你的食物有问题，就告诉服务员。

Just be polite.

只要记住保持礼貌就好了。

Because you often won’t see the people you’re dealing⁹ with again, it may be easier to ask for what you want.

由于你通常不会再见到这些和你打交道的人，所以对他们提要求会显得容易很多。

4. THEY RECONSIDER THEIR GOALS

他们重新思考自己的目标

Vacations are a great time to revisit past goals or even set new ones.

假期很适合思考以前的目标，也很适合构建新的。

When you’re away from your everyday routine, you’re better positioned to take a look at where you are in life and contemplate¹⁰ where you’d like to be.

当你摆脱了每天一沉不变的生活时，你能更好地思索自己的现况，也能更好地思考自己到底想过怎样的生活。

Those who get high scores for emotional intelligence are usually pretty good at getting away from their daily habits now and then in order to refocus and take an inventory¹¹ of their lives.

那些情商高的人通常很擅长时不时摆脱日常的琐事，从而重新找回重心，并对自己的生活做出一些改变。

5. THEY IMPROVE THEIR RESILIENCE HABITS

他们会去提升那些非必须的习惯

While you might like to tell yourself that next month you’ll finally start meditating¹² daily or picking up a journaling routine, life often gets in the way.

虽然你可能也会对自己说：下个月就开始每天冥想，或者就开始写日记。但生活常常让你不能如愿以偿。

Emotionally intelligent people aren’t immune to this, but they’re good at using vacation time to retool¹³ those resilience strategies.

高情商的人也不是对此免疫，但他们擅长通过假期来重拾这些有弹性的策略。

Vacations give us a chance to return to what we know we should be doing for ourselves but don’t often make time for.

假期让我们可以回归那些我们知道自己该做却没有时间做的事情。