This Mexican Resort Taught Me 1 Important Lesson That Helped Me Overcome Burnout

It's always something. Your grandpa passes away, someone breaks into your car, work feels nonstop, you don't know how you're going to keep paying for these rising gas and grocery costs...you know how it goes. And I wish I could say these are just made-up examples for the sake of getting my point across, but they're real-life events I've experienced over the past several months that have done a fabulous job of upticking my stress levels.

Sure, we're all stressed out from time to time (okay, maybe a little more often than time to time), but when the stress feels like it's overcoming you, you're now experiencing a whole other feeling, and it has a name. Enter: burnout—a state of exhaustion caused by chronic stress that affects you emotionally, mentally, and physically.

And if you're anything like me, you've probably tried all the same old tips and tricks to relax: 10-minute guided meditations, walks, journaling, skincare, *trying but failing* to get more sleep. But when you're burned to a crisp, sometimes what you really just need is a break. So when I was one of the journalists invited to a four-day, three-night stay at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I immediately said yes. And what I learned on this trip gave me a whole new perspective on overcoming burnout.

But first, a closer look at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera

The Hilton Vallarta Riviera is an all-inclusive resort that sits atop the Bahía de Banderas on the west coast of Mexico—and let me tell you, it's absolutely breathtaking. I'm a born-and-raised Californian, which means I'm luckily no stranger to the sights of the Pacific Ocean, but even I was in awe of the blue, teal, and green gradient of the water. And that's just one perk of booking your next vacay here. Here's a longer list of amenities and activities you can expect:

• 444 ocean-facing rooms and suites
• Private balcony in every room
• Unlimited meals and drinks
• Beach access with shaded cabanas known as "Bali Beds"
• Two oceanfront pools
• Food and drinks in the room's minibar
• Room service
• Dedicated spaces for kids and teenagers
• Fitness center
• Free parking and wifi
• Daily fitness and wellness classes, sports tournaments, and cultural activities
• Nighttime entertainment including karaoke, magic show, silent disco, and more
• Eforea spa with treatments such as facials and massages (at an additional cost)

And as for the room itself, I stayed in their Superior Ocean Front Room, which is valued at $632 per night at the time of this publishing. The room included one king bed, one smaller day bed, table and two chairs, private balcony (with an incredible view, if I may add), flat screen TV, minibar with drinks and snacks reloaded each day, Nespresso machine, rainfall shower, room service access, and other nice-to-have items like robes, slippers, and a piece of chocolate that the staff puts on your pillow each night (talk about hospitality!)

Now, I'll be honest with you. I was so exhausted from the busyness of work, household chores, social responsibilities, family obligations (eldest daughters, you feel me), and traveling that all I wanted to do when I opened the door to my suite was lie in that comfortable bed, order room service, and watch TV. The jam-packed itinerary that was planned for the trip seemed very exciting, and equally overwhelming—especially because it consisted of a lot of activities that I had never tried before. Safe to say, I become a little hesitant when I'm doing things for the first time.

But it took less than a few minutes to give myself the reality check I desperately needed before I said, Girl, you're in Mexico! Do something different, let loose, and have some fun! So I quickly switched up my attitude, pretended I had quantum-leaped into a different timeline, and forgot about all of my stressors that were waiting for me at home—even if it was just for a short while. I was in a new place that offered a world of possibilities and I wasn't going to spend these next four days *not* trying to explore them. So this, my friends, is a story of how saying yes to new things helped me focus on a different perspective, and ultimately, allowed my stress to slowly float away.

Out with the old, in with the new

I didn't realize how badly I needed to be on this resort trip until I was already on it. My life had become a cycle of mundane routines; I was staying in my comfort zone and letting burnout thrive in the sameness of each day. But being at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera was anything but same old. In fact, it basically forced me to be in situations I had never been in before, and it's exactly what I needed to get out of my rut.

The best part? The resort offers *so* many different activities that you're bound to try something you've never done before. And here are just a few new things I tried that proved new experiences were the true antidote for stress.

Leaving the country for the first time in 24 years

Yeah, you read that right. I'm 29 now, and the last time I traveled across borders was when I was in kindergarten. Travel is always something I've wanted to do more of. But growing up, I never had the resources to jet off to a new place, and as I got older, time became less and less available. And if I'm being completely transparent, I'm also one of those people who feel like they have to earn their fun, and maybe, just maybe, I felt like I hadn't done enough to be deserving of a break. (Spoiler alert: you are always worthy of taking a break.)

Going out of the country, especially alone and after so long, was a little anxiety-inducing. But I made the decision to do it anyway, and I'm so glad I did. When I landed in Puerto Vallarta, it felt like I was in a new world—and it's because I was. There was so much I didn't know: the language, the local foods, the culture. And while the resort was filled with a bunch of opportunities for cultural immersion, I also made sure to not to do too much too fast.

The new things were subtle at first. I spoke to strangers in the elevator, learning why they were on vacation or what they were celebrating. I went to a morning stretching class, even though you usually wouldn't be able to pay me to start working out that early. I tried tuba, a traditional and refreshing Mexican drink made from the sap of coconuts that comes with small chunks of apples and walnuts, while walking the streets of downtown.

Each of these experiences slowly built on top of one another, creating the momentum that made it easier to try new things with more calmness and confidence.

Going to a sound bath meditation session

Speaking of calm, I attended my very first sound bath healing meditation near the ocean on a breezy yet peaceful early morning. If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I have a hard time sitting still and an even harder time keeping my mind quiet. Let's just say, meditation has never really been my thing.

We all lay down on yoga mats over the sand, and were instructed to find a comfortable position and close our eyes. Moments later, our instructor started creating the harmonic sound waves with crystal singing bowls. It was quite literally music to my ears. The deep, calming sounds made me focus on my breath and keeping my eyes closed let me listen to the world around me. Ocean waves, birds singing, the ruffling of the palm tree leaves—all of these sounds helped me get out of my head and be in tune with my surroundings.

The hour-long session went by so fast, and I guess it's true what they say; time does fly when you're having fun. And while this experience was my first time trying a sound bath, it wasn't my last. I added sound baths to my self-care repertoire and have since made it a point to go to a local sound bath session every few weeks. It's never failed to remind me of my time in Puerto Vallarta, and as an added bonus, it's actually helped relax my body and mind.

Getting my first massage

I'm a writer for a living, which basically means I'm hunched over my laptop for several hours a day. And because of that, my posture is well...less than ideal. So you'd think that I probably make time to take care of my body, whether that's through stretching, yoga, or a massage. Well, you would be wrong, because I don't do any of those things.

So when I saw that getting a deep tissue massage was on the schedule, I was a little nervous. I can't really pinpoint why but it probably was a mix of getting undressed in front of a stranger, feeling afraid that my body would be judged, and thinking that the massage was going to be a little bit painful. Still, I walked into the resort's pristine eforea spa and prepared for my treatment.

I didn't get the massage right away. I spent a few moments feeling the heat of the sauna, sitting inside the steam room, and eventually taking a dip in the hydrotherapy pool before my massage therapist was ready for me. These were basically the pre-reqs to helping your body feel relaxed.

When I arrived inside the massage room, it had a dark and calming vibes, with candles flickering in the background and soft music gently coming from the speakers above. I notified my massage therapist that this was my first massage ever, and she did everything she could to make it a relaxing experience. She would narrate what part of my body she was going to be working on next and periodically checked in about the pressure. Having a massage therapist who understands your needs truly made this experience next-level, and you can always expect to be greeted by friendly and respectful staff when you go in for a treatment at the resort's spa.

I won't lie, the massage did hurt a little. I was feeling inflamed, my body was tense, and there was a lot of stress everywhere—neck, back, legs, you name it, it was there. But, my massage therapist told me to focus on my breath, listen to the calming sounds, and let my body relax. Before I knew it, the hour-long massage was over, and I came out of it feeling physically less tense and emotionally more at ease.

Taking a cooking class, even though I was allergic to the food

Something that doesn't really make me feel at ease? Cooking. In fact, it's the household chore I enjoy the least. So when I noticed a ceviche-making cooking class on the agenda, I was fully expecting to skip it. But it's not just because I don't like making food. I'm also allergic to all seafood, and well, you can't really make ceviche without some form of fish, shrimp, or shellfish. Or so I thought.

The hotel staff was so sweet and accommodating of me when it came to my dietary restrictions. They always had an alternative meal prepared for me if our food that day was seafood-heavy. And the same thought and care was put into this cooking class, too. The chefs teaching our class, of course, taught us how to make traditional ceviche. But, they also made time to show us how to make vegan ceviche, which is basically just regular ceviche without the seafood.

I try not to take myself too seriously when it comes to food prep. So when the teaching portion of the class was done, I got up and started mixing random ingredients on to my plate: a little bit of cilantro, some onions, a few peppers, bits of mango for some sweetness, a dash of salt and pepper, a splash of lime juice, and so on.

Little did we know that we were all a part of a secret cooking competition. When we were done making our concoctions, we plated the ceviche and shared it with our chefs for a little taste test. Long story short, I won the competition. Safe to say, I was shocked, and okay...maybe a little bit proud. When I called my parents to tell them the news, they didn't believe me—can you blame them?

But going into this class, learning more about traditional Mexican cooking, and having the opportunity to make my own food felt empowering, as cheesy as it sounds. I came back home with just a little bit more confidence that I can cook new foods and be more willing to try cuisines I'm not typically used to. Am I on my way to becoming the next Gordon Ramsay? No. But focusing on the ingredients helped quiet down my mind and cooking is slowly turning into a meditative practice for me.

Swimming in the ocean

Now I know what you're thinking: She's from California and she's never swam in the ocean? Nope, I have not. Unlike what you see in the movies, California's geography is quite diverse and doesn't just include beach towns. Sure, I live close to the ocean now, but I grew up a little more inland where the closest access to the ocean was at least two hours away. Who needs the ocean when I can just go to the pool, right?

Wrong. Every morning, I was astonished by the beach waves that I could see from my balcony. So when I had a little bit of a break in our schedule, I spent one afternoon grounding my feet in the sand and letting the water wash over my feet before I eventually put on my bathing suit and strolled into the ocean.

I was immediately angry with myself that I hadn't taken the chance to do this before. Being in the cool water and letting the waves gently pull you away from the shore was both an exhilarating and calming experience. I probably spent an hour just floating, focusing on the joyful conversations of the people around and the sensation of the lightness and buoyancy of the water. I came out feeling relaxed and reinvigorated.

And while you won't see me being a regular at the ocean when I'm at home, this new experience at least gave me the confidence boost I needed to understand that I am capable of getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things.

A few final thoughts

The activities I listed here were just a few of the various resort offerings that were new to me. But they weren't the only things that were on our schedule. We spent our time attending a sip and paint class, trying new foods at one of the many restaurants that are already on location in the hotel, and watching (not one, but two!) fireworks shows. But you can also try your hand at kayaking, arts and crafts, salsa lessons, sports tournaments, game nights, a host of fitness classes, bingo, or even watching a circus show.

So if you're like me and are feeling desperate to get away from your current reality and do something new, I can't recommend a stay at the Hilton Vallarta Riviera enough. There's something for everybody—whether you're a kid who wants to try weaving the traditional Ojo de Dios yarn craft, a teenager who's looking to win a beach volleyball tournament, or an adult who can't wait to sit on the Bali Beds on the beach and try a new food off the menu.

When I came home after an incredible four days in Puerto Vallarta, none of the stressors in my life had really changed—but I had. There was more lightness in my mood, a little less burnout, and a pep in my step. Yeah, life was still going to be stressful. But participating in new experiences and shifting my perspective helped me take a step back and remember that whenever I'm feeling stuck in my old habits, all it takes to get out of it is by saying yes to something different.

Book your vacation here.