In the previous text, we wrote about all the positive consequences of taking a vacation. Some of them are important to us and some to the organization we work for. Not now that we know why vacation is important, it begs the question of how to get the most out of it? Oversleeping, staying in bed and lying around all day while watching TV or spending time on your smartphone may be fun and relaxing for a while, but its very likely we will soon want something more during our limited vacation time. When we think about the vacation, we need to plan activities that will fullfil us as much as possible, but also allow us not to think about work all the time.
How to prepare for the vacation?
Vacation is something you probably wait for during the whole year. What do we have to do to properly prepare for our vacation?
- Remember to plan on time! Sometimes planning and anticipation are even better than the vacation itself. The better we plan our activities for the vacation, the less stressful the beginning of the vacation will be for us, and the sooner we will be able to relax.
- Mentally distance yourself from work. Just because you’re not physically at work doesn’t mean you’ve mentally gone on vacation as well. Work through many backlogs and tasks as possible before the vacation, so that the vacation starts with as little „shop talk“ as possible.
- Manage expectations. Try not to plan every second of the vacation and overwhelm yourself with activities to the point that it only causes you extra stress. Try to get rid of the pressure and the idea that you have to spend an absolutely perfect vacation and have every second of the vacation filled with activities. We sometimes experience the best experiences completely spontaneously!
What activities to choose during the vacation?
If we spend the vacation without moving out of bed and just watching TV, we may have a feeling that we have wasted it. There are many activities we can do during the vacation. But which ones are the best, and why?
- Try to include some activities you will do with family and friends in your vacation. Vacation is the perfect time to nurture interpersonal relationships, and see close people to whom you don’t get to devote enough time during the work week.
- Don’t forget day trips! Explore all the interesting places close enough for your day trips. It can be a visit to a restaurant, a trip to nature or an amusement park.
- Try to include outdoor activities! Hiking, nature walks, cycling or outdoor barbecues are all activities we often don’t have time for while working, so the vacation is the perfect time for them.
- Visit the restaurants and bars you want to visit, but otherwise don’t have time for!
- Plan a longer trip. Going to the sea is probably the most commonly planned trip and the most popular way to relax. Don’t let that limit you, if you have the time and resources to do so, maybe this holiday is just the time to visit some foreign country and experience new and unfamiliar cultures!
What if we decide to travel?
Maybe this year’s vacation is a long-awaited opportunity for us to finally travel somewhere, which we have been wishing for a long time. If this is the case, we need to be careful that our long-planned vacation does not become a burden and a problem.
- Plan your trip on time. Don’t do everything at the last minute or start your vacation completely unprepared.
- Explore the sights of where you travel, explore popular restaurants and similar places in advance.
- Create a music playlist for travel. Music is an indispensable part of our lives, and a good selection of music for a full can only enhance our travel experience.
- Don’t be overwhelmed around making the trip turn out perfectly. Leave some time and space for adventures.
- Choose your travel companions carefully.
- You don’t have to spend the entire vacation taking pictures or filming, but don’t forget to record the best moments of your vacation.
What should we avoid during vacation?
Some things can almost certainly make our vacation worse, prevent us from relaxing, and cause additional stress and tension.
- Don’t predetermine that you have to make up for absolutely everything you think you’re missing out on throughout the year. You can’t be in a hundred places at once!
- Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the work you left in the workplace. Avoid constantly checking business email or spending time dealing with business-related things.
- Try to reduce your caffeine intake. We are on vacation leave after all, and we need to relax!
- Avoid spending most days in bed or sleeping during the day. This way you will have more time in the day for various activities.
- Avoid spending too much time on your smartphone and the Internet. The best option would be to disconnect from the internet almost completely. Turn off notifications, turn off the sound on your smartphone, and enjoy the vacation.
- Don’t spend the entire vacation indoors inside your four walls!
- Don’t think too much about the details of the vacation. Paralysis analysis can very easily ruin our long-awaited vacation.
We hope that through this text you have learned what to do before the vacation and on vacation, and what to avoid. The only thing left now is to plan the best vacation ever!
Sources:
Nitransky, A. (2019, 12 lipnja). How to Enjoy a Vacation: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Vacations. Days to Come. https://www.tourradar.com/days-to-come/how-to-enjoy-a-vacation-6-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-vacations/.
10 Things You Should Not do During Vacations. ParadiseTerra. (2019, 13 lipnja). https://www.paradiseterra.com/not-to-do-things-during-vacations/.
Jessen, C. (2020, 19 lipnja). How to Get the Most Out of Every Vacation. The Muse. https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-every-vacation.
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). How to Get the Most Out of Your Vacation. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-love-and-war/201507/how-get-the-most-out-your-vacation.
<a href=’https://www.freepik.com/vectors/kids’>Kids vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com</a>
<a href=’https://www.freepik.com/vectors/people’>People vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com</a>