We all work hard. Some of us put in well over 40 hours a week. Then we get home and there is more work o do – yard work, house work, laundry, cooking, taking care of the kids, running errands. Calgon, take me away!!
When it comes to vacations, we all need them, not just want them. Some of us want to “unplug” for a while and just relax with the family. Some can’t seem to get away from it all, but at least getting away from home helps to rejuvenate them.
The problems with vacations are the stress leading up to them and after you return home. The key is to find a way to cut down that stress. I have found a few.
First, to avoid the stress when you come home, I try to make sure most of the work part is out of the way. I leave the house cleaned and clothes laundered. I don’t put off my work that would normally come due during vacation until I return, I take care of it before leaving. That way, there is less that must get done as soon as I return.
To help prepare for the vacation, I have some lists to help out. I plan ahead for meals so we don’t have too much in the refrigerator while we are gone. I have a packing list, depending on the type of vacation, which can be modified to fit the exact trip. I also start working on getting ready as far in advance as I can. I have found with work, if I do my follow up with clients a week before hand, they usually have questions or come up with thinks that need to be done in a day or two after they get my email. If I wait until the day before I leave, this makes the first few days of vacation very stressful.
This is where a travel consultant can come in handy. I answer a lot of last minute questions for my clients. Things they don’t know or plans they want to change last minute. This is just a little bit of stress I am able to take away from their plans. The most stressful time I have ever had traveling is going somewhere for the first time, like a cruise. As much research as you can do just doesn’t seem to totally prepare you for a new experience. I also find that some people deal with vacations and stress situations different than others. Let’s just call them “high-maintenance” type folks. Somehow, nothing is ever just right for them. Unfortunately, when you read discussion forums online, there is a lot of that. People are more likely to complain about things online than they are to complement online. Additionally, many people think that their way is the only way something can be done. A great travel consultant should know many ways that something can be done. For example, when are passports required. This can be a hot topic on discussion forum. A travel consultant can sort out for you what the requirements actually are versus what is recommended.
Finally, the last stress you can face with vacation is the vacation itself. Are you going with a large group? If so, you will want to remember that it is important everyone should not do everything together. Can they? Of course, but it will increase everyone’s stress level and take more time with coordinating what everyone wants to do, waiting on everyone to be ready. What about the vacation destination? Will that cause extra stress? If you end up with a very regimented vacation when you need something laid back, that could lead to more stress than before vacation. This is why I enjoy cruising so much. I can do as much or as little as I want, yet go from place to place. Staying in a hotel would do the same for me, except I wouldn’t have the option of seeing a tropical island in the Caribbean or a glacier in Alaska.
Next time you prepare for a vacation, consider what you are trying to get out of the vacation. Pick the vacation that will give you the experience you need and take steps to allow yourself to relax and enjoy when you get there.
Great tips!
Alessandra