Contents
- 1. Plan ahead
- 2. Choose something new…
- 3. …But not too unfamiliar
- 4. Travel with friends
- 5. Practice Relaxing Beforehand
- 6. Start with the most interesting…
- 7. …and let it be something new
- 8. Do what you love
- 9. Use your smartphone and email less
- 10. When you get home, take another day off.
- 11. Remember your vacation days more often
- 12. Sadness upon returning is normal.
Studies show that vacations are not only pleasant, but also beneficial for the body: regular travel reduces the risk of heart attacks and increases life expectancy. And while a bad trip can be a source of stress, a well-spent vacation can benefit the brain, make life more meaningful and provide pleasant memories.
Here are 12 tips to help you get the most out of your vacation.
1. Plan ahead
It’s not the trip itself that brings the most pleasure, but the anticipation and planning. On the other hand, some people experience increased stress during the week leading up to their vacation due to the extra stress at work and at home.
To avoid this, start planning your trip well in advance. Try to find a time during your holidays when you don’t have to worry about work or family matters, and plan your budget to avoid financial worries.
2. Choose something new…
By visiting unfamiliar places and exploring new things, we stimulate our brain in the same way as when we learn something unusual and difficult – for example, playing tennis.
“When we find ourselves in a new environment that challenges us, the brain reacts by starting to change. New dendrites (outgrowths of neurons) appear, the brain literally becomes like a jungle, ”explains Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist from the University of Pittsburgh.
Visiting unfamiliar places can also make us more creative: foreign-educated subjects performed 20% better on tests that required creativity.
3. …But not too unfamiliar
To increase brain productivity and improve concentration, you need to relax and unwind, so a frightening or overly stressful environment is not good for a vacation. The best way to develop creativity is to travel to countries where the culture is somewhat different from ours, but still has something in common with it.
4. Travel with friends
Of course, you can make friends on the road, but it is still best to spend your holidays with your loved ones – communication with them brings the most joy. Subsequently, you will be able to remember together how you spent your vacation. Disputes and showdowns interfere with restoring energy and productivity, it is worth choosing non-conflicting fellow travelers.
5. Practice Relaxing Beforehand
If you start practicing turning off your brain for a short time in advance, it will be easier for you to relax and not worry about anything during your vacation. Try turning off your phone in the evening, signing up for yoga classes, practicing meditation – all of these will help “explain” the brain that it has the right to take breaks and rest, especially during the holidays.
6. Start with the most interesting…
Psychologist Elizabeth Dunn, who studies the perception of happiness, says that the overall impression of the trip depends on how you spend the first few days. Make the start of your holiday memorable by choosing a luxury hotel or doing something extra special.
7. …and let it be something new
For example, take a ride on or go to the interactive theatre. As Elizabeth Dunn explains, new, unfamiliar activities bring us more joy than something familiar and mundane.
8. Do what you love
Regular leisure (playing sports, talking with friends, reading) helps to feel life more meaningful, improves mood, and gives energy. Vacation is the perfect time to do what you love.
9. Use your smartphone and email less
Trying to work remotely while on vacation will only create additional stress. Staying in touch all the time, you are unlikely to remember your vacation well – according to a study, people who continued to devote an hour a day to work during the holidays, then could hardly remember how the vacation went (this was 43% more difficult for them than for those who completely forgot about work).
10. When you get home, take another day off.
If you can, take a day off at the end of your trip to sort out your backlog of household chores, clean up your email, and prepare to get back to your normal life. If this is not possible, try not to overload the first working days with additional responsibilities, meetings, meetings and presentations.
11. Remember your vacation days more often
Telling how the vacation went, we help the brain to remember the joyful sensations that we experienced then. Share your memories with friends more often.
12. Sadness upon returning is normal.
Sadness after a trip is normal. The main thing to remember is that many useful journeys lie ahead.
Source: Huffington Post.