When the thrill is gone… Planning a holiday can sometimes be stressful with lot’s of opinions muddying the waters. We are here to help answer your questions and point you in the right direction with restaurant recommendations to the best hidden beaches and bush walks. From quick stress-survival strategies to mood-brightening foods, here’s your cheat sheet to the best getaway, you deserve a break and with a little self care and delegation you can holiday like a pro.
1. Don’t over-plan and over-organise
Loose structure and a few activities organised in advance are great on holiday. Control freak insanity always ends in tears. Work with the mood, know when to give in and if everyone else wants a day on the beach and you want to wander the local shop’s, go do and enjoy the moment.
2. Have a good night’s sleep
Holidays are about the only time a good eight hours’ sleep is a real possibility, grab it with both hands and don’t let go. Make like a baby and have a nap during the day if you can (call it a siesta, nana nap what ever works for you).
3. Learn to laugh stuff off
You may get lost, you may miss lunch or even your flight …. These can turn out to be some of the best holiday stories, try to laugh about them at the time and your stress levels will drop instantly.
4. Use the sun wisely
Baking on the beach until you look like beef jerky isn’t good. But nothing makes you feel more relaxed and happy than the sun, in small doses. Treat yourself with care and wear SPF even in shade… and don’t miss the at-one-with-the-world magic joy of sunrises and sunsets.
5. Consciously limit your phone-time
Switch phones off as much as you can, check emails once a day only (if you must), disable all non-essential apps and don’t answer any calls or messages from work – you’re on holiday, enough said.
6. Have a social media break
Social media becomes a stressful holiday tyrant if you let it. Limit uploads to once a day (after the fun’s over) or just wait till you get home and post a slide show.
7. Make time for a massage or a spa day
A day (or even a couple of hours) at a spa revitalises like nothing else and local therapies or massages are always worth trying – they could change your entire holiday for the better.
8. Get into nature as much as you can
Make time to take in as much nature as possible on holiday. Explore a beach instead of just lying on it. And remember to breathe deep, stop and stare or sit awhile – it’s the best stress-relief there is.
9. Put some exercise into every day
Follow your regular exercise routine on holiday: early morning runs on a new beach or boardwalk are amazing.
10. Give kids a bit of a routine
Kids are not the free-spirits we fondly imagine. They’re happier with a bit of routine and you’ll be more relaxed if you try to stick with regular mealtimes or bed times on holiday. Older kids are more flexible, but under-fives and toddlers respond well to some familiar structure.
11. Have a holiday from your holiday now and then
Days doing nothing at all are essential for recharging and, you appreciate active days more, if you give yourself some quiet space in between to assimilate and unwind.
12. Eat outside together in the evening
Buying ingredients at a local market’s, cooking a meal together and eating outdoors on a warm, summer evening makes for relaxed family time and great holiday memories. It’s also good to give everyone a break from ‘behaving’ in restaurants now and then.
13. Manage expectations and don’t over-promise
Some holiday experiences are magical, some aren’t. It’s always smart to manage expectation and let the excitement build naturally.
14. Have some guilt-free time to yourself
It’s your holiday too, don’t forget to make some space for yourself, do things only you like to do. You’ll be happier and more relaxed the rest of the time as a pay-off.
15….. And every now and then, take a minute, breathe, relax, remember you’re on holiday and just enjoy the moment, like it was going to last forever.
