How to truly relax on holidays
More often than not, people take holidays with the hope of getting some R&R only to return feeling like they need another holiday. To avoid getting burnt out while you travel, follow these tips to relaxing well.
1. Choose the right destination
People go away on holidays for various reasons but if the goal of your trip is to rest, then be sure to choose a destination that will help you achieve that. Also, be aware that your accommodation choice will impact your relaxation on holidays. Staying in a house while you are away will involve duties such as cooking and cleaning. It is great to stay at destinations that you get to explore and do various sightseeing activities but it is important to know how much you are capable of handling each day. Sociologist Christine Carter explained to Real Simple that “a week of sightseeing is recharging only if you get restless sitting around.”
2. Don’t overdo the sightseeing
When you are travelling to a new destination it is easy to over book your itinerary in an attempt to not miss anything ‘important’. However, overextending yourself while you are away can lead to stress and tiredness from rushing to each location. If you are travelling with someone, having a busy itinerary can also get in the way of having heart-to-heart conversations. Christine recommends making sure you schedule time in to rest in your holiday itinerary. She said, “Plan downtime. In my family, we do activities in the mornings, then have afternoons free. Or you can slot sightseeing every other day to rest up for the next adventure.”
3. Switch off
If you go on social media while you are away, people will presume that they can contact you. This can contribute to being worn out because you know you have to reply to people’s messages, comments and questions while you are enjoying your holiday destination. Enjoy taking photos and making memories but save posting for when you return to your trip so you don’t miss out on what’s happening around you in real life. You also might see something on your news feed that will disappoint you or cause stress. While you are away, maximise the opportunity to be unreachable.
4. Accept that mix-ups happen
While it is great to spend time planning your holiday to make sure everything will go smoothly, it is also important to remember that sometimes things go wrong. Be sure to be patient and accepting when things go wrong because it makes the situation less painful and helps you cope. Always get your perspective in check when a mix-up occurs. If something goes wrong but then is fixed within 30 minutes but you spend the whole day complaining about it, you’ve actually wasted more time than necessary.
5. Transition back into your schedule
Take time to adjust back into reality so you have time to recover from your journey and jetlag. Don’t over book yourself when you return so you can get back into the swing of things without the exhaustion.
What are your tips to relaxing while you are on holidays? Let us know in the comments below.