There are only a couple of days until your holiday.
But instead of being happy and excited, you sense that stress is looming from the background and threatens to cast its dark shadow over your long-expected vacation.
A survey from 2018 shows that 21% of U.S. adults felt stressed while on vacation, while 28% of them worked more than they intended.
Different reasons are responsible for such underwhelming stats, but the thing is that unless you manage to relax and unwind during your time off, you won’t be able to go back to work refreshed.
Let’s see what you can do to make the most of your holiday and eliminate stress.
1. Plan in Advance
Some of the greatest stressors include delayed or canceled flights, transportation problems, and lost luggage.
These are definitely unpleasant and annoying, but it’s not like you can’t do anything making about such situations less frustrating.
- Check the airport’s website before you leave, and see if there are some announcements regarding your flight. This way, you won’t have to waste time in the waiting room in case your flight is delayed.
- Pack everything you might need during a delay in your carry-on. This means you should always have the following next to you: extra medications, phone and laptop chargers, a fresh pair of underwear in case that you’re separated from your luggage, toiletries, and valuable items.
- Take advantage of airport lounges. This way you’ll get free Wi-Fi, snacks, and comfy chairs for a day-use fee.
- If your luggage doesn’t turn up at your holiday destination, the airline is required to cover the costs of replacement essentials. Keep the receipts and claim compensation.
2. Create an Itinerary
Don’t wait until you get to your destination to think about all the landmarks and attractions you want to visit.
By doing research and making a list ahead of time, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money and prevent stress.
This can be particularly important if you’re traveling to a culturally-rich destination such as Paris, Rome, or Prague.
For example, the Golden City boasts a number of must-visit churches and cathedrals, galleries, bridges, breweries, and other authentic spots. So, if you’re traveling with a group of people and have a hard time prioritizing what to visit, it’s best to leave itinerary and event planning to the professionals.
That way you can be sure that you’ll have all the places worth visiting covered as well as tickets and reservations booked in advance.
3. Pack Smart
Have you ever been in a situation to wear only a couple of items from your overpacked suitcase while on holiday?
If you learn how to pack wisely, you’ll not only be able to travel light but will also save some money that you’d otherwise spend on excess baggage fees.
First of all, make a list of all the clothes and other things that you want to bring with you. Then, think again whether you really need 3 sweaters and 4 pairs of shoes for a seaside vacation. The trick is in packing clothes that go well together and that can be easily combined.
Check what the weather will be like at your destination so that you don’t have to pack for all seasons.
As you pack the items from your list, check them off to make sure that you don’t forget something important.
4. Disconnect
If you keep on checking business messages and emails while on holiday, you won’t be able to relax.
The first thing to do is uninstall Slack and similar apps while you’re away. Also, make sure to set an out-of-office message for your email as that way you won’t receive business messages.
However, if you still need to work during your vacation, it’s essential to make a schedule and allocate only a portion of your day for business activities.
It’s also a good idea to limit your screen time and leave your business phone behind while you’re on the beach or sightseeing. This will help you resist the temptation of getting in touch with your co-worker on Facebook or other channels and talk about work-related stuff.
While the idea behind traveling is to escape your daily routine and its predictability, unplanned situations can make you stressed and spoil your vacation. These 4 tips can help you enjoy your time off work to the fullest.
by Rebecca Brown
I’m Rebecca, a translator and avid traveler, a book worm and horror flick enthusiast. My job has given me the amazing opportunity to travel to dozens of countries around the world, and writing on Rough Draft gives me a chance to try to showcase some of them.
