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Relaxing, unwinding, disconnecting, spending time with family and friends, etc… The list of benefits that going away on vacation gives us is very long, and some studies shows that these benefits allow us to be healthy for up to 8 weeks, so make the most of them.
11 Tips on how to make the benefits of a vacation last longer
If the positive effects of your holiday usually wear off by the Monday you go back to work, don’t be discouraged and know that there are solutions out there. Here are 11 ways to make the benefits of your holidays last longer.
1. Get your photos developed
99.9% of holiday makers (the remaining 0.1% don’t have any charge left in their camera) take tonnes of photos. Unfortunately, in this digital age we tend to keep those 300 photos hidden away in our phone or any other device, and that’s a shame. Polaroids and printing smartphone photos are coming back into fashion, so you’ve no longer got an excuse. Show off your best memories in a photo frame in your house, or even in a photo album that you can look at whenever you feel like it.
2. Use the best ones as a screen saver
You would prefer lovely sea views to a view overlooking the office carpark. To prolong the benefits and make the transition a pleasant one, don’t be afraid to swap your Windows screensaver for a photo of your favourite vacation. You can also change your smartphone screensaver, because a little birdie told us that that you look at it all the time.
3. Keep your tan
“You’re looking good! What a nice tan!”. Admit it, these comments always make you happy. You’ve not spent all that time outside, in the sun, working on your tan on the beach for nothing. Yes, the tanned complexion is synonymous with a successful vacation, it makes us look good and feel great! So, to really delay the moment when your natural pale skin tone comes back, take care of your skin by keeping your tan. Hydrating cream, bronzing powder or a good spray tan will do the trick.
4. Eat well and healthily (and cocktails)
Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean summer is too. With regard to drink, nothing is stopping us from making ourselves a small refreshing cocktail once we’re back home after our vacation. If you close your eyes, it’s almost as if you’re back on the beach. As for food, just like when you were at the market you used to go to on holiday, stock up on fruit and veg and other fresh produce.
Forget about sandwiches or other fatty foods that make you feel heavy and your stomach will be thankful!
5. Take your time
Office work, shopping, housework, laundry; we often have a lot to do and it all brings on fatigue. Just imagine what good it would do if you put things into perspective and took the time to do things: wouldn’t you feel better if in the morning it wasn’t such a race, and if the huge ironing pile wasn’t a source of stress?
6. Take advantage of the outside
If the weather is nice, go outside and get some fresh air, and carry on making the most of those sun rays whilst you still can. Consider having a drink on the terrace, reading a book in a park or simply going for a walk, even if it lasts just half and hour; all of this will remind you of your vacation.
7. Disconnect
Whilst we like the holiday itself, we also enjoy it because it lets us disconnect. We spend less time on our phones, looking at social media and not being productive in front of the TV. Try to spend just a little bit of time away from technology and you will see how much better you feel. There are definitely loads of other activities that you like doing and that you often don’t even give the time of day to.
8. Take naps
Holidays are meant for relaxing. Yet, tiredness rears its head as soon as you start missing out on sleep. Your naps will therefore help compensate for this deficit, even less need to have a lie in! Carry on lounging around like you used to do on your sunbed, that way you will always be relaxed and therefore in good shape! Especially as a decent nap only needs to last 20 minutes to be effective…
9. Don’t overload your days
Going back to work after a long holiday shouldn’t be a pretext for unnecessarily piling pressure on yourself. Don’t bother leaving the office at 19:00 or timing your free time so that you fit in more activities than you actually have time to do them in, this will make you even more tired! Tell yourself everything will go back to normal little by little and whilst waiting for life to get back on track, don’t be afraid to find solutions to relieve yourself: whether at work or at home delegate, create “to-do lists”, and at home use delivery services.
10. Farewell routine, hello scheduling things
Train, job, bedtime… It’s not surprising that going home everyday makes you feel depressed. Given that a radical change never does any good, carry on putting fun into your timetable. Even just one activity a week will be enough to make you happy; having lunch with friends, riding your bike to work, a cinema evening, dinner at a restaurant, or drinks with your loved ones, all of this is sure to keep you entertained!
11. Think ahead to your next vacation!
In life you always have to have goals. In other words, we progress more easily when we have a carrot dangling in front of us. Think about your next vacation or your next weekend outing, that’ll give you a boost! List the places you want to go to, whether they’re far away or close by, and organise your future outings, that way they will be even better than the ones before.
Editor’s advice: Evaluate the place your job has in your daily lifeAsk yourself what place your work occupies in your daily life. For instance, are you managing to still have nice moments with your partner, with your family or amongst friends without an email or telephone call getting in the way? Also ask yourself the question of what makes you feel good, what allows you to relax and be totally yourself? Free up time for what really matters to you. |
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