Vacation – the time when we’re supposed to de-stress. But why, for some reason, it sometimes causes even more stress?
PLANNING ON YOUR VACATION
Ugh, just hearing the word itself – “planning”, already triggers stress to some, especially if they’re the ones responsible to do it.
“What are the things to do?”
“When do we go somewhere and when do we just stay home?”
“What’s our itinerary to make the most out of it?”
“Do our schedules match?”
“If we’re going somewhere, what are on the list of things to bring?”
And so on, and so on….
Bet you can relate to the above scenarios. 🙂
THINGS TO DO TO LESSEN STRESS ON VACATION
Regardless of what type of vacation it is – whether it’s the vacation where you just stay home or the vacation where you go out of town – there are always stressors around.
Being one to experience vacation stressors myself (friends coming unannounced when you had other plans, traveling with 3 kids, you name it), I have compiled this list that can help with lessening the stressors or at least doing something so that they do not cause THAT much stress.
1. Remember that it’s okay to ask.
Being the one responsible for planning, we sometimes forget to ask the people who we’re staying with during the vacation period or sometimes just don’t bother asking at all because we take the responsibility too seriously.
But hey, not asking when it’s just right to do so may even lead to more complications. If you can set the expectations straight, or know their expectations so you can work around them earlier than the time of the vacation itself – why not do that, right? It saves you from any unforeseen troubles come the time of the vacation when expectations are not met and disappointments come.
So, go and straighten it all out beforehand. 🙂
2. Designate.
To be clear, you’re responsible for planning but that doesn’t mean that you’re also responsible for the things to bring. It’s important for those two different things as I’ve seen some who go an extra mile and bring everything because that’s “part of their plan”.
Why plan to bring “this and that” if you can plan to assign “A” to bring “this” and “B” to bring “that”, right?
Tip: When it comes to food, do not forget to ask about allergies, or what some eat or don’t eat.
3. Set healthy boundaries.
Maybe some relatives or close friends know that you’re soon into your vacation period, and you know them to be very outgoing that the moment they know you actually do have free time they come over unannounced, and while that’s nice because you know how bad they want to see you, it can still be stressful especially if we aren’t prepared for it (maybe you’re exhausted, you had other plans, or you just simply don’t wanna hang out).
Whatever reason you have, know that it’s valid. But we also know how rude we can come off if we tell them to go especially if they have traveled far – so it’s really important that we act first.
If we know that they know about our upcoming vacation and we do not plan to have a meetup or gathering yet, we can politely tell them “Hey I know you’ll probably come over the moment my vacation starts (and I’d love that), but I have other plans and we might end up not seeing each other so I’ll let you know when is a good time”. – And this, a simple notice like this saves us from future unexpected stress.
4. It’s okay not to give in to expectations.
We all know that vacation is also the time when people expect you to get out of your house, have a party, or just hang out and drink with them. But if this is not you (like you don’t party because you find it tiring, or you don’t like the taste of alcohol), then you do not have to give in to their expectations. 🙂
You can never be happy living a life full of other people’s expectations of who you should be or what you should do in this certain period of time – so remember to keep your will strong and spend the time how you want to (like, you can hang out and drink juice while they’re drinking alcohol, or not come at all if it’s not your game).
5. Mindfulness is all it takes.
To sum it all up, what it takes is you being mindful…
Be mindful when planning, be mindful of what seems okay to you and what is not, and be mindful of what you think you want to do during your vacation period.
Whether vacation for you is lounging on the couch or at the beach, it’s your vacation so YOU decide on what to do and what to grab. 🙂
So, what is it gonna be? PJs or swimwear?! Let me know in the comments!
To your stressless vacations,
