Holidays can be stressful but with some good forward planning you'll have a great break, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON
THREE OUT of five people take a week to unwind on holiday and switch off from worrying about work, according to a recent survey.
The same survey found that 73 per cent of people get more stressed than usual in the period running up to a holiday.
Finding ways to reduce pre-holiday stress will ease the transition and hopefully help you unwind more easily when you get there.
Try the following:
MANY PEOPLE try to meet deadlines and clear their desks before heading off on holiday. While this is a worthy approach to taking your leave of work, beware of overdoing it.
Remember some things can wait until you get back so decide what needs to be prioritised and do it. Leave other longer standing projects as they are so you can go back to them afresh when you return.
Also, reach agreement with those at work about what will constitute a valid reason for being contacted while away. And, for those who can’t leave their mobile phones at home, switch them off while on holiday and check messages once a day.
START PLANNING a few weeks in advance of departure. Make a list of what you need to bring – from anti-histamine tablets to new swimsuits to replace ones the children have outgrown. If you are taking a plane, it’s best to leave the purchase of sun creams, sun lotions and so on until you get there.
A little bit of last minute shopping can be fun but try to avoid searching for the ideal summer dress or casual jacket, that’s exactly the sort of thing you’re more likely to find at your holiday destination.
GATHER TOGETHER some information about where you are going in order to get yourself into the holiday mood. Guide books can still be the handiest way to find out about foreign destinations and, if you are staying in Ireland, check out websites and books in your local library before you go.
A recent travel survey found that one-third of 20-somethings couldn’t pinpoint places that they travelled to on a map. Get out the atlas and road maps beforehand.
If you have children, encourage them to look at maps and chart your journey in advance. When you arrive, get yourself a good map, ready to mark out places you visit as the holiday unfolds. Give children city and town plans so they can enjoy finding their way around with you.
PREPARE YOURSELF mentally for going away. This might sound silly but if you think about the fact that you will be spending more time with your family or friends than you usually do, you may have some adjustments to make to avoid (some of) the arguments.
Many people find that they argue more in the first few days of holidays than they ever do because everyone is re-adjusting to being together all the time.
If you tend to be the one who likes organising everyone, remember that not everyone will want to do things at your pace. It is a holiday after all – not boot camp.
WHEN PACKING lay everything out on the bed that you think you’ll need and then put half of it back in the wardrobe.
This may sound austere but nobody ever wears everything they bring on holidays. Encourage younger children to put their own special things into a small backpack.
The older ones (particularly the girls) will want to pack for themselves but remind them of the “take half of what you think you’ll need” rule. Avoid taking anything that might spill, burst or disintegrate while in transit – there is nothing worse than opening up a suitcase to find perfume or shaving foam all over your clean clothes at the beginning of the holiday.
EAT WELL and avoid drinking too much alcohol before departure. Most of us change our eating habits while on holiday but if you do your best to eat well-balanced meals in the build-up to holidays, you are more likely to feel better on arrival.
Include lots of fresh fruit and salads and drink lots of water to avoid dehydration during the journey. If you are spending a lot of time in the sun, drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated drinks which will cause further dehydration.
ADVISING PEOPLE to sleep well before they go on holiday is probably asking the impossible. But keeping to your regular sleeping pattern in the nights before long-haul flights is thought to minimise jet lag.
ONCE YOU ARRIVE give yourself time to settle in. Schedule in a rest day on arrival and leave the bigger excursions until a few days into the holiday. Holidays in themselves are tiring so pace yourself. There’s nothing worse that coming home from holiday more exhausted than you left so have a few quieter days at the end of the holiday too.
BE ADVENTUROUS. Holidays are about pushing yourself to your limits as well as relaxing and chilling out. So, if there are opportunities to try out new sports such as kayaking, snorkelling, wind surfing, and so on, give it a go if you can.
Also, be open minded about museums, aquariums and adventure parks. They are often worth a visit and sometimes remember you’re not all glued together, some of you can head off to explore a city while others spend a few hours in an art gallery. Similarly, try out the local foods and learn a few phrases in the local language if you’re in a non-English speaking country.
BUY A FEW mementoes that will remind you of what a relaxed, nice person you were to be around! Soak up the mood you’ve created – either between friends or in your family – and think about how you could find some opportunities to re-create it back home.
It could be something as simple as going out for a walk together once a week or preparing a meal together in a relaxed way.