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How to Reduce Vacation Stress

How to Reduce Vacation Stress

And Reap All the Mental Benefits of Time Off

By: Henry Moore

Ocean view from Villa Romance – Amor Boutique Hotel

 

Has your work and home life depleted your energy, causing daily headaches and exhaustion? Stress is likely to be the culprit and it might just be time for a much-needed sabbatical. Time off offers boundless mental and physical benefits, from relieving tension to more intimacy with your partner and time spent with family and friends.

Taking a leave of absence from work or home can also be a great source of strain for many, causing that feeling of needing a vacation from a vacation. However, you can reap all the mental and physical benefits of time off. Here’s how.

Moderate Your Technology

 Want to feel deeply rejuvenated?  Ease up on technology. That includes laptops, cell phones, pagers – any device that leaves you tethered from truly enjoying your free time. According to PR Newswire, about 81% of Americans admit that their smartphone is their #1 accessory. Alleviating technology usage while on vacation will also encourage more interaction with the world in which you live.

Understandably, cell phones are a necessity, in case of an emergency. However, checking on your latest social media and work feeds will actually do more harm than good, socially, so try to save smart phone usage for when you really need it.

Additionally, a smartphone is also handy for alleviating any mix-ups, such as a stolen passport, prescriptions and ID. It’s always a good ideal to take a photo of these items and save them to your email or storage system so you may refer to them when needed.

Be Flexible

Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. If your expectations are too high, you will always look for something wrong during your vacation. Set them too low and you won’t have a good time. Setting the right expectations on vacation will make room for more possibilities and prevent high stress when things don’t go according to plan.

Editing your trip according to your taste will also ensure that things run more smoothly. According to Author, Alain de Botton, who published famed book, The Art of Travel, we should all have ‘psychotherapeutic holidays’ to truly get what we want out of a vacation. Indeed, someone who has suffered a great loss may not want the same thing as a college student going on spring break. Not a fan of the great outdoors? Then avoid booking a trip in the mountains. Can’t stand the snow? Spend your winter holiday on a beautiful, sandy beach with your partner instead of cooped up in a country cabin.

Be Strategic, Yet Pragmatic

Ease of mind is always a good idea while away, so make sure that your home is well secured before booking your next trip. There are subtle, yet impactful, things you can implement in order to assure that your home remains safe and secure.

To deter potential break ins, make sure that your home appears lived in the entire time you are away. Trusted neighbors, friends and family should be well informed of where you are going and when you will be back. You may even allow someone to park in your driveway so that it looks as though you are always home.

Before you leave, place a hold on your mail to prevent identity theft. Tiimed lights, indoors and outside as well as a quality smart alarm system, can be loaded onto an app on your phone, which notifies you of a break in while you are away. You should also never hide an emergency key outside the home and disable all moving systems, such as the garage door opener, and unplug appliances to prevent fires.

Vacations should always be fun. Undue stress can be alleviated by keeping these smart and mindful tips in mind on your next trip.