Travel time is often a chance to leave behind the cares of our life and just relax and enjoy ourselves, but that’s not always how it works out, is it? Sometimes, when we are away from home, our cares pile up and we start worrying about a whole list of things. If that’s been your experience at times and you want to change it, here are a few proven techniques to do just that.
1. Make Up a Packing List ahead of Time
If you are like most people, you may realize you forgot to pack something only after you are travelling. That means an extra purchase for you or it could mean just doing without. To avoid that, you should start making a list ahead of time for what you need to pack. The week before you travel, build a list, and you can add to that over the week leading up to your departure. That gives you time to think of everything and minimize the risk of you forgetting something important.
2. Clean Your Home before You Leave
Who wants to come back to a messy home after they have been travelling? That’s not only extra work for you to do but it can also make you feel stressed out. Did you know that scientific research has discovered that a messy home is going to increase stress levels? That’s right, and taking the time to tidy up before you leave will give you one less thing to take care of when you come back. If you forget to clean up before you leave or you run out of time, you can always hire a cleaning service to tidy up for you when you come back, says Maggy from NYC Maid Service. That way, you can enjoy the benefits of a clean home without all of the effort.
3. Pay Bills Ahead of Time
Do you ever come back from a trip and realize you don’t have money to pay the bills that are due or you just feel that your budget is especially tight? It’s not always easy to plan just how much we will spend when we travel. To keep our spending in check, it can help to pay up on all of our bills before we leave, and that gives a person a better idea of what they have to work with when they are travelling. That way, you won’t be stressing about all the bills that are due while you are on your travels. You can focus on what you are doing in the moment rather than what you still have to do when you get back.
4. Take a Couple Days Off when You Return
Your travels can leave you feeling burnt out and jetlagged. You may not realize how tired you are going to be when you get back home, so giving yourself a few days off as a buffer can be very helpful. You may only need one or two days of relaxation time or time to just catch up on a few things before you get back into the work grind, but you will be glad you took that time. Plan your extra time off ahead of your travel so that there is no stress or hassle in trying to get it arranged at the last minute.
5. Take Down Time during Travel
As you go on vacation, make sure that you are not so busy doing things and seeing things that you have no time to rest. You can burn yourself out easily and keep pushing yourself even when you feel like resting. Listen to your body and give yourself time to actually relax on vacation, taking a quiet afternoon to just be still and do practically nothing. You may be surprised at how it gives you a second wind and makes the rest of your vacation more enjoyable. You don’t have to spend the entire vacation relaxing, but if you pack every day full of activity, you won’t have any time to rest up and relieve some stress. You will end up wired up, tired out, and not enjoying your vacation properly.
6. Sleep in
Some people don’t have to be told that they need to sleep late while they are on vacation, but others could do with a little prodding in the right direction. It is okay to sleep extra when you are vacationing, as getting up early every day can deprive you of sleep and make it hard for you to keep your stress levels low. If you find yourself snapping at people, feeling irritable or not enjoying your vacation, it may benefit you to sleep in late one or two days as you travel.
7. Explore Your Creative Side
Travelling can make you more creative, according to some research. Seeing new places and getting out of your rut can open up your mind. Be sure to take advantage of that and do something creative while you are out and about. You can take notes of any bursts of inspiration you get as you travel, and you can take a little time to write down some thoughts, draw something that you experience, or record a video of what you are doing. These little creative asides can be great for destressing and putting your mind on another track while you are travelling or even after you get back home. Your brain needs time to explore and do creative things to be at its healthiest, so be sure to indulge that part of your mind when travelling.
8. Take Stress Relievers with You
You may have plans to do things very different when you travel, but you should also realize that travel can be stressful, and you may need something to help you unwind. Some people take books to read, and others will play video games or watch movies. Pick something that will be relaxing, choosing media and entertainment that doesn’t frighten you or tense you up. That way, you can relax properly and destress while you travel.
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