The moment of the year we look forward to for a long time: vacation. Sun, sea, beach, long evenings with good food and drinks, a nice time with family, just being at home, good conversations and a constant euphoric feeling. It is the time to discharge, gain new energy and take a closer look at your purpose in life. Does unloading always work so well during holidays? And is having a holiday really just about having fun? Often this is not the case at all. How can you ensure that your holiday, at home or elsewhere, really becomes a moment of relaxation? And how do you keep this feeling after the holidays?
Holidays!
From the month of June onwards, most Dutch people really start looking forward to their holiday. The high season is approaching, the time when most people take vacations. Not everyone goes on holiday; There are plenty of Dutch people who spend their holidays at home. In any case, when the holidays start, you are often not as relaxed as expected. Why is this so? And what can you do to feel relaxed during (and after) your holiday?
Why not relax during your holiday?
Your holiday has finally started. You’ve been looking forward to this moment for so long. And now that the moment has arrived, it doesn’t feel as good as you thought. It does not matter whether you spend your holiday at home or elsewhere. What are possible causes of not being able to discharge during vacation?
Don’t relax on holiday
- You have been too busy with work or preparing for the holiday for too long. If you work hard until the day before your holiday, the stress will first have to leave your body and mind. This cannot be done in one day. With a bit of bad luck you will also get sick as soon as you have some rest; During stress, your immune system protects you better against pathogens.
- You make the switch too quickly from being constantly busy to doing nothing. This is unnatural and may not feel pleasant. Your body and mind need time to get used to it.
- You have too high expectations. You expect that you will immediately have good conversations with your partner, that your children will all be in a great mood and that the sun will shine all the time.
Not relaxing at home
- Suddenly you no longer have to perform. You can’t deal with the loss of so much pressure; this will make you lose your balance.
- You have too many plans. You want to do as many fun things as possible every day, isn’t that what a holiday is for?
- You suddenly want to do everything together with your partner, even though you don’t do this outside of the holidays. You forget that time for yourself is also important and that you also have to undertake activities alone.
Tips to relax during your holiday
It’s good to know why relaxation doesn’t come naturally, but it’s even better if you can solve it. You can make relaxing easier elsewhere or at home.
Be relaxed when you are on holiday
- Adjust your expectations. Know that it is normal that you cannot enjoy yourself right away and give yourself space to acclimatize for one or two days. Also try to accept that things turn out differently than expected; If it rains for a few days in Ibiza while it is normally sunny, look for a nice alternative to fill your day. After the rainy day, think about what fun this day brought you.
- Put your smartphone aside at regular times to protect yourself against the stimuli of social media and email. Your holiday is your moment of rest, decide for yourself if and when you answer messages.
- Build up your rest gradually. If you immediately stretch out on a beach bed after a busy period, you will fall into a hole. It’s better to start by doing something active on holiday. After this you can relax much better. If possible, it is best to spend a few days at home and calm down at home before you go on holiday.
Being relaxed when you are on holiday at home
- Add free moments into your agenda. Consciously leave days open when you don’t plan anything, see what the day brings you and enjoy it.
- Make sure you take moments for yourself. Spend a few hours of your time in your favorite bookstore without forcing your partner to come along (even though he doesn’t like it at all).
- For the performance-oriented types it is often difficult to really have free time. Find something for yourself to accomplish during your vacation. Describe this ‘something’ specifically to yourself; This is how you guard your own boundaries. For example, start working on your garden, but limit yourself to sowing the grass.
A simple relaxation exercise for on holiday and at home
To feel a little more relaxed, you can regularly perform a simple mindfulness exercise. Choose an activity that you perform often. At home, this could be cooking or ironing, for example. On holiday, this could be the moment when you walk alone on the beach. Or the moment when you are sitting on the terrace in Italy waiting for your glass of Pinot Grigio. This way you don’t force yourself to sit in a corner and meditate. This is always possible. It is important that you do it your own way, so that you can persevere. Make sure that you completely switch off your thoughts and the judgments that come with them during the activity. Stay present in the here and now throughout the activity. You are only meant to observe what is happening at that moment. For example, you feel the cotton of the towel you are ironing, you hear the waves of the sea, you smell the food being prepared in the restaurant kitchen and you feel the wind going through your hair. You perceive what your senses transmit to you. If you notice yourself getting stuck in your thoughts again, just call yourself back. It’s normal for this to happen, especially if you’ve never done a mindfulness practice before. If you perform this exercise more often, you will begin to feel what mindfulness is: being present in the here and now with attention.
Good preparation is half the job
Don’t make it too difficult for yourself. Expectations don’t always come true. Make sure you get rid of stress before you go on holiday. And if you stay at home, consciously leave space in your agenda. Follow the tips as far as they suit you and take your holiday as it comes.
Stress is often lower after we have had a holiday, but stress also quickly returns. That is why it is good to consciously continue to relax after your holiday. Therefore, also perform the mindfulness exercise regularly when you return to work. This way you stay more relaxed throughout the year and work towards your next holiday in a relaxed way. Enjoy it!