Although vacations are intended to provide a peaceful respite from the daily grind, they can also prove stressful in a number of ways. Whether you’re traveling solo, embarking on a romantic couples’ trip or going on an ambitious family vacay, vacation stress stands to put a damper on your well-deserved downtime. Fortunately, vacation stress is a fairly easy problem to get a handle on – provided, of course, you have the proper tips at your disposal. Anyone looking to get the most out of their next vacation would be wise to consider the following pointers.
Decide on a Mutually Agreeable Destination
If you’re traveling with others, it’s important to decide on a mutually agreeable travel destination. For example, if your next vacation destination is only favored by one member of a large travel party, there’s liable to be a lot of resentment on the part of everyone else. So, before proceeding to plot out your next big adventure, arrange a sit-down with the other members of your travel party to discuss potential destinations and how to find the best extended stay hotels there. The more input that’s put forth, the better equipped your group will be to select a destination that everyone’s happy with.
Read Up on Local Attractions and Events
Reading up on local attractions and events ahead of your departure date can help you create the perfect vacation itinerary. Once you’ve compiled a list of attractions, run it by the rest of your travel party to gauge everyone’s enthusiasm – or lack thereof – for what your destination has to offer. For example, if you’ll soon be setting off for Crabtown, make sure to brush up on the best of Annapolis. After seeing which attractions garnered the most interest from your fellow travelers, compile a separate list that ranks them and assigns each one a level of importance. Upon reaching your destination, this list will serve as a helpful guide for which events and attractions are most worthy of your vacation time.
Realize That Your Itinerary Isn’t Everything
For many people, freedom from rigid structure is one of the best things about being on vacation. So, while it’s generally a good idea to write up a travel itinerary, you should abstain from regarding your itinerary as law. No matter how meticulously you’ve plotted out a trip, you shouldn’t be afraid of straying from your itinerary and playing things by ear whenever you – or other members of your travel party – feel the urge to do so. Furthermore, people who don’t enjoy being bound by schedules are unlikely to appreciate having their vacation governed by one person’s itinerary.
Be Open to Spending Time Apart
Whether you’re traveling with your partner, friends, family members or some combination thereof, spending time apart should always be on the table. Being around one another all the time is among the foremost reasons people fight on vacation. No matter how much you care about certain people, you’re liable to get annoyed with them if you’re together around the clock.
So, if you and any members of your travel party feel as if you need a breather from each other, simply part ways for a few hours and give yourselves time to cool off. Similarly, if there are any activities or attractions in which you’re the only one who has an interest, just head off on your own for a bit and allow everyone else to do things they enjoy.
Limit Social Media Use
Some people care more about how their vacations are presented to others than how much enjoyment they personally get out of them. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with sharing images from your trip with your social media following, it’s important to remember that this vacation is for you, not them. And if a good chunk of your trip is spent updating various social media accounts, you’re essentially depriving yourself of precious leisure time – and potentially annoying your travel companions in the process.
Vacations are meant to relax your mind, recharge your batteries and provide you with a refreshing change of scenery. Unfortunately, instead of relieving stress, vacations can sometimes serve to compound it. Due to a variety of factors, some vacations ultimately cause more aggravation than they alleviate. So, before embarking on your next vacation, take care to familiarize yourself with the core causes of vacation stress and the prevention tips discussed above.
