Vacations are supposed to offer reprieves from the anxiety and demands of everyday life. You can't be productive, healthy and happy throughout the year if you don't step away from your work and your responsibilities every once in a while to travel to new places and catch up on much-needed rest. So why are vacations so taxing for so many?
Pencil In Periods of Rest and Recovery
Think about your last few trips. Did you return home refreshed and renewed, or were you even more sleep-deprived than the day you left? If you have a history of burning yourself out during big trips, try to schedule them before weekends. Don't plan to come home on a Sunday night and rush to the office the next morning before your sunburn's even peeling. Give yourself a whole day to unpack, do laundry, and sleep; you'll thank yourself for it later.
Keep It Light At First
A smart arrival is essential, too. Your first few days are when you form your first impressions of a new place, and they set the pace for the rest of the trip. Travel is always tiring. If you have to adjust to a big time difference and shake the jet lag from a twelve-hour plane ride, don't schedule big activities during those first few days.
Rejuvenate Your Brain
As you plan your tentative travel itinerary, break it up into cycles of rest and stimulation. Stroll through a park after a four-course meal, or indulge in an afternoon nap after a morning under the sun. An over-tired brain can't even form lasting and accurate memories because our brain cells need sleep to process the events of each day. It's pointless to chug along, exhausted, just to squeeze in extra sightseeing your mind won't fully absorb anyway.
Scale It Down and Stay Flexible
If you're usually exhausted by the third day, you're demanding too much of your mind and body, or trying too hard to see everything on everyone's list. Everyone should decide which activities or places are the most important to them. Visit the places on which everyone can agree, and allocate some extra time to pursue your own interests as the mood strikes. Family trips are tricky monsters, but outdoors is a safe bet for active kids and parents who can enjoy activities like sailing, swimming, rock-climbing, and hiking together. Every city has museums, aquariums, parks and even shopping districts where everyone can safely see what they want at their own pace.
Be Spontaneous
It's hard to walk away from a once-in-a-lifetime street festival just because you're getting up early to tour ancient ruins. Don't be afraid to travel off course, or to make the spontaneous decision to visit someplace new. Always stay open to suggestions from locals, and consider extending your travel time or scaling down the scope of the trip if you can't seem to fit every activity in. You can't truly enjoy a dozen countries in two weeks, so maybe that Europe trip should be limited to France and Italy. All-inclusive resorts and cruises make it easier to squeeze in the sleep you need to feel refreshed, but if that's not an option, leave room in your itinerary for unexpected events and don't commit to too many non-refundable, guided activities.
Travel E-Z
After you spend months saving up, planning, and counting down to a big trip, it's only natural to want to make the most of your experience. But don't place too much pressure on yourself to maximize your precious vacation days and hard-earned dollars. As long as everyone is relaxing and having fun together, it doesn't matter how much you squeezed into your travel itinerary.
While you're penciling in some time to rest, make sure you plan out how you're going to get around on your vacation! At E-Z Rent-A-Car, we specialize in keeping it simple. Our vehicles are affordable, reliable, and convenient. If you're planning your next vacation, give our vehicles a try and reserve one today! And as always, happy travels!
Image Credits
Chambre d'hôtel by Frédérique Voisin-Demery
Beach Umbrellas by Matt Champlin
Mask Dancers on Parade by Laszlo Ilyes
