You may think that when you set off on your holidays, you are automatically going to become more relaxed than you are at home. After all, isn’t that what a holiday is for? Aren’t you supposed to be relaxed when you travel abroad?
Although instant relaxation would be a wonderful thing, for some of us, it’s just not possible. There is always so much going on around us and in our minds, that true relaxation can’t happen unless we really push it. Of course, being away from home will definitely help! Below are some of the best ways to really and truly relax when on holiday. Do it right, and you’ll go home feeling completely refreshed and ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way.
Choose Great Accommodation
When you start to think about booking a holiday, your mind might automatically think about hotels. However, hotels can be stressful, especially if you have a young family to take with you, or perhaps there is a large number going on a family holiday. Children need their own space, and hotels aren’t always able to cope; the same is true of larger parties who want to be together but may be separated in a hotel. This can be stressful.
In order to relax, look at villas in Gozo. Villas are the perfect type of accommodation because they are self-catering, meaning you can be in complete control of what you and your children are eating (meaning there won’t be any meltdowns in the restaurant in a gorgeous villa), plus you can have a much larger space to live in. All in all, a villa is a more relaxing place to be than a hotel.
Try Not To Organise Too Much
Being organised is usually a good thing, and it can be precisely what you need in your day to day life at home. However, on holiday, it might not be so useful. In fact, it can make things rather stressful, and you won’t be able to relax (neither will anyone else!) if you are doggedly following a schedule all the time.
Too much planning ahead of time and not allowing yourself to be spontaneous and seeing how the day unfolds, even if that means ‘just’ lying on a beach or around the pool and dozing or reading a book, will only mean that you get stressed out and frustrated about trying to keep everyone where they should be, doing what they should do.
It’s a good idea to plan the two ends of your holiday, as you will need to know when you have to leave for the airport, for example, and how to get to your accommodation once you arrive. However, everything in between can be much less rigidly organised. Although remember if you want to take part in activities, it can be cheaper to buy tickets in advance, so take a look to make sure.
Don’t Get Sunburned
Sunburn can ruin a holiday, and it certainly won’t help you to relax if it happens to you. If you’re not careful in the sun when you are enjoying some well earned time off on holiday, sunburn can occur in moments, but the effects can last the entire holiday, making it difficult to move around or even sleep. Plus, of course, the long term effects of sunburn can be devastating, causing skin cancer in the future.
The sun doesn’t just burn; it can cause sunstroke too, and that is another way to have a terrible holiday and get stressed about it. You’ll feel extremely ill and may need to go to the hospital.
Protecting yourself from the sun is easy. You will need:
- A high factor sun cream suitable for the whole family – this should be reapplied every three to four hours, and after swimming
- Sunhats
- A parasol or somewhere shady to sit when the sun reaches its hottest
- Plenty of water to drink
Stay Away From Social Media
Social media can be a wonderful way of staying in touch with friends and family and seeing what people are doing in their daily lives. It can also be a useful business tool. However, social media certainly has its darker side, and that can be distressing, depressing, and stressful. That’s not what will make for a relaxing holiday.
Then there is the pressure that we all feel, whether we acknowledge it or not, to snap the perfect shot for Instagram or Facebook, or to come up with a witty tweet. We want to be liked (literally) and admired. Being on holiday is not the time to be stressing about making other people aware that you’re away (plus it’s not ideal for home security either). Being on holiday should be about enjoying your time away from home and work, and bonding with the people you are travelling with.
Therefore, try to have a social media break when you’re away. It might be hard at first, but if you can invest in a cheap digital camera to take your photos, you may not even need to take your phone out with you when you head to the beach or the pool, and that will help. By the end of your holiday, your digital detox will be complete.
