Paradoxically, holidays can be very stressful—you need to plan everything, pay for everything, get over your plane delays, wake up early every day to go exploring and complete your itinerary, plus you have to pay for everything. So how can you truly relax on your vacation and let your mind and body get a much-needed break? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your next vacation.
Get everything in order before you go
It’s very hard to chill at the beach when you have work deadlines hanging over your head all vacation. Even one daily work-related email can trigger you and get you back into work mode. So before you leave, make sure to finish all tasks and send all emails. Let people know you’ll be gone and provide your clients with a person that can be reached in your absence.
Set a slower pace
Many of us try too much to create a well-organized itinerary and include too many activities and excursions into our vacations. If you’re on vacation to relax and unwind, this habit might exhaust you even more, so remember to pace yourself. Depending on the duration of your vacation, it’s smart to take one excursion every other day or even take two-day gaps to relax. Also, make sure to start your holiday on the right foot instead of rushing into things as soon as you land. When you arrive, just unpack, take a nap, eat and relax for the rest of the day. Those excursions and exploration trips won’t go anywhere.
Make a loose plan
While planning too much can be overbearing and stressful, having no plan can also be nerve-racking. The best thing you can do is strike a balance between relaxation and preparation, so keep some daily structure with you. Letting go of all routines won’t help you relax. For instance, try to wake up at a sensible time, have one morning activity, some afternoon relaxation and one evening activity. No matter what your activity is—sleeping or kayaking—it’s fine as long as it’s planned. Make the most of the facilities and the environment and you’ll feel pretty satisfied with your vacation.
Eat and live healthily
While you don’t have to stick to your dietary plan all the time, try to eat as many whole foods and drink a lot of water. We know it can be hard to go easy on the booze, especially if you’re in an all-inclusive resort, but having five cocktails and the hangover in the morning will disrupt your entire vacation. A glass of wine or two over dinner are completely fine, though. You can also try to go easy on other bad habits like consuming tobacco. Before you go on your trip, grab an elegant OZE vape pen and enjoy it whenever you feel that nasty tobacco craving. You will feel much better and definitely avoid smelling like an ashtray on your vacation. Exercise can also help keep you on the right track lifestyle-wise, but don’t even think about gyms and boring squats. Instead, try to walk, swim, bike or be active in other ways—it will feel so good to get your body moving.
Ditch tech
You have to be smart about how you use your downtime, and even if your career is booming right now, you shouldn’t be thinking about that at the moment. Don’t check your emails and work tasks. If possible, leave your work phone at home and only bring a few “dumb” electronics like an e-reader and a digital camera for beginners. While you might be used to taking photos on your phone, doing it the old-fashioned way might be less overwhelming and more satisfying, and you’ll end up with much better photos and maybe even a new hobby.
Use your vacation as therapy, so make sure to remove all distractions and just be yourself (minus the work). In many cases, your vacation won’t live up to your expectations, but be mindful and just go with the flow—flexibility is the key to stress-free trips. Remember that your goal is to avoid new stress and come back home rested and more focuses.