If your last vacation left you dreaming about another vacation before you even landed back home, it’s time to plan things a bit differently. The fact is that the idea of a relaxing vacation is different for everyone. For some, it might be spending time with their family; for others, it might be getting away from them!
The point is, you can’t simply plan a vacation based only on an article in a lifestyle magazine online that tells you to book a trip to Hawaii to enjoy the weather and eat poke. Your relaxing vacation must be customized and planned based on your preferences and circumstances.
But to make the planning process less overwhelming, we’ve put together a checklist for your reference.
Come Up with An Affordable Budget and Stick to It
You can’t relax on a vacation if you know you’ll be broke once you get back home. This is why it’s essential to assess your finances, figure out the vacation expenses and see what kind of vacation you can afford.
Once you know how much money you can spare for the vacation, plan your trip based on that amount and make sure you don’t overspend under any circumstances. Knowing that you won’t be broke after the trip makes relaxing much easier.
Choose Your Destination Wisely
Just because everyone else on your Instagram feed is headed to the Caribbean and Mexico doesn’t mean you have to do the same. The ideal relaxing vacation can be different for everyone. Some people may find a busy music festival relaxing, while others prefer a less crowded beach.
The idea here is to pick a destination that works for you. It should be within your budget, and you’d want to look at things like:
- The weather at that specific time of the year;
- The food and whether it’s something you’d enjoy;
- Is the place safe enough for you to explore without added stress;
- If you’re traveling with kids, check if the place offers entertainment options for them. After all, you can only relax as a parent if they’re busy and entertained.
Make All Necessary Bookings Early On
This is another thing you need to do if you want to plan a relaxing vacation. Do your research as early as possible and sort out all necessary bookings, including plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other essentials.
Booking early will help you find more affordable rates, and we don’t know about you, but if our credit card is under less stress, so are we!
Don’t Let Your Itinerary Get Too Hectic
This is something many people get wrong because when planning a vacation, they try to plan everything to the T. And in their head, they’re essentially trying to reduce stress during vacation by doing this.
However, in the planning phase, you often forget to consider the exhaustion from touristy activities; hence, many people plan things back to back. And later, on vacation, you’re just rushing from one tourist attraction to another, without taking it all in or relaxing—which was what you were actually supposed to do.
Make Sure You Take Care of All Work Commitments Before You Leave
This is something you probably plan on doing anyway, but we still had to say it. Make sure you take care of all pending work and deadlines before leaving for your vacation. Also, make it clear to everyone that you won’t be available for that duration under any circumstances.
If you have a work phone, leave it at home. And just focus on what’s important, i.e., self-care.
Pack Light and Early
Forgetting essentials can be very frustrating during a trip, so you don’t want to do that on your relaxing vacation. This is why we suggest making lists and packing early, so you don’t forget anything behind. Also, this will allow you to shop for things you don’t have.
Additionally, we suggest packing light for the trip—minimalism is the most relaxing approach in life. The fewer things you carry, the less you’d have to worry about keeping them safe.
Pack A Positive Mindset
Physical relaxation isn’t the only goal; most of us going on vacations are looking for ways to give our minds a break from the daily hustle. But this has everything to do with your own attitude and mindset.
If you truly want to relax, you’re going to have to train yourself. This means, when you’re on vacation, let things get out of hand sometimes, don’t try to micromanage, and just go with the flow. If the vacation gives you lemons, make lemonade and enjoy it with some nice while lounging on a beach chair!
Take A Vacation From Social Media
We may not realize this, but for some of us, our stress comes from social media. Constantly scrolling through our newsfeed and watching people accomplish great things in life can put you under a lot of undue pressure.
So, if you’re on vacation, limit your screen time. Read a book instead, or watch the birds, or go swimming—get out of your phone and into real life.
Following these tips will help you have a fantastic relaxing vacation. Whether you are looking to relax on the beach or explore a new city, these tips will help you make the most of your time away. So go ahead, book your trip, and enjoy every minute!
