The joke is old and familiar: “I need a vacation from my vacation.”
How many times have you come back to work from time off and the pile is ginormous!! We see you!
The daily grind is grinding harder than ever these days — making vacations more needed. However, it’s become all too common to get home from a trip feeling more stressed and exhausted than when you left.
Of course, some folks take active, adventure vacations, but most people are just looking for a relaxing getaway. That’s easier said than done in the digital age, but it is still possible if you prepare in advance. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can ramp up the R&R!
How to Actually Relax on Vacation: A Few Tips When Planning
Don’t Leave Relaxation to Chance
Don’t leave things to chance when choosing a destination and your itinerary. Choose a location conducive to rest, and do not jam-pack daily with activities. Leave room in your schedule to improvise and — most importantly — to be okay with chilling out. Take naps, read, and sleep as late as you like. Of course, as with all the tips here, if you’re traveling with others, be sure to articulate your needs to them before the trip.
Make a Budget
It’s a delicate balance. Overspending is not relaxing! Have you created an Adventures bank account for example? Slide $25 a paycheck into this account so that when it’s time to get away, you have a little bit of freedom around spending as you know you have that bank account to pay off your credit card with. Plus you won’t be stressing about every little purchase this way either! Find ways to not let money become a source of anxiety. Again, get your travel mates on the same page.
Be Intentional
Don’t fixate on what can go wrong. Focus on the positive and accept that a few mix-ups are inevitable. Commit to staying relaxed no matter what happens. If you’re someone who gets anxious when traveling, you can’t foresee everything in advance, but you can take steps to avoid certain triggering scenarios.
Be Realistic
Take stock of who you are and what you like. Everyone may be talking about a hot vacation spot, but if you know it’s not for you, don’t surrender to popular opinion. You’re the one who is spending the money to get away and recharge. Be realistic about what this means to you.
3 Tips to Help Keep Anxiety at Bay When Away From Home:
1. Detach
With all our devices and the explosion of work-from-home jobs, it’s never been trickier to detach from the job. But a relaxing vacation must not include feeling like you’re still working. Talk with your company and co-workers to make arrangements and set boundaries ahead of time. Use that out-of-town auto responder in your work email account girl.
2. Create a Daily Self-Care Regimen
Ideally, you’d do this all year round. That said, you must adapt your regimen for your vacation. This is not the time to fall off the self-care wagon. A few suggestions:
- You can practice breathing exercises and meditation wherever you go — and even on the plane.
- Create mellow playlists and pack self-soothing tools like aromatherapy.
- Even as you relax, be sure to work in some physical activity each day, e.g., yoga and stretching.
- Resist the temptation to slide into unhealthy eating and drinking patterns.
- As discussed above, set strong intentions to have a restorative and positive experience.
3. Surrender a Little
You can’t control everything so accept that some glitches will happen. You did your best but, just as it is at home, you should only focus on what is under your control. As for everything else, roll with the punches and practice laughing it off.
Maybe It’s More Than Your Vacation?
As you prepare for your trip, you might realize that being unable to relax is present all the time. If so, this is the ideal time to reach out for support. Working with an experienced therapist is an ideal way to reintroduce relaxation into your daily life, we’ve got you! You can easily schedule here day or night and we can help you figure out how to recalibrate and live your best life!
