Vacations are meant to be about relaxation and unwinding, but all too often, small stressors can add up and erode the enjoyment of your time off. Here are some tips to help you stop that from happening.
Ease off the Pressure
Most people only vacation rarely, which can put a lot of pressure on the period for it to be perfect. It’s no surprise that if you feel pressured to relax, you won’t be able to! A good solution for this is to take smaller breaks more frequently if possible, or keep your plans flexible so you don’t end up with a rigid ideal vacation that realistically can’t be met.
Don’t Stress Over Planning
Planning is one of the most stressful elements of any vacation, not just because you have to dedicate hours to the endeavor, but also because whenever something goes wrong, you stress over how you could have prevented it. The solution to this is to let somebody else do the planning for you. The joy of a travel agent is that they can deal with any special accommodations that you or a member of your party might require, as well as taking full responsibility for everything from flights to insurance. Speaking of insurance…
Get Insurance
The point of insurance is that you pay a small premium to protect against unexpected events that would normally cause you stress. This is especially important if you’re going on an adventure vacation or to a less developed country.
Find an Unspoilt Haven
In the 21st century, it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll find a beautiful location without some accommodation for tourists, but try to look out for underrated spots that are free from tourist traps and the tourist crime industry (like organized pick-pockets). This may mean finding a new destination or it could mean going at a different time of year where tourist activity drops.
Don’t Stress About Airport Travel
Traveling to the airport can be a really annoying element of your travel plan, so why not think ahead and use a site that can book parking spaces for you inexpensively so you don’t need to get a taxi or pay extortionate airport parking fees. A good site for cheap parking solutions for a wide range of airports (even extremely busy ones like New York’s LGA) is Parkon.com.
Use Travel Planning Apps
When you’re making your itinerary, it can be helpful to put it into an app that can give you prompts, help you to find locations and generally take a lot of the thought out of travel. Less thinking = more relaxing. You’ll thank yourself for preparing properly.
Understand the Benefits of Vacations
We live in a world where working hard is an incredibly admirable trait. If you’re a hard worker, you might feel like going on vacation compromises that in some way. It’s important to understand that this is not right. Taking a break is an important part of working well as it can reduce your chances of burnout, actually leading to greater productivity in the long run. If you work hard, you should understand that relaxing is part of that.