Six Tips to Make the Most of Your Vacation
What is the purpose of your time spent on vacation? Is it to travel to a new destination to see something interesting? Is it to connect with the one you are traveling with or to build some common experiences? Is it to do something fun? Maybe it’s just to relax, forget all of your concerns, and escape your normal routine. Whatever the reasons for taking a vacation, if you identify the reasons and have some goals in mind, the more likely you are to do what you set out to do. Here are 6 tips to help ensure that you have a great time:
1. Make sure that you do a little online research before you leave the comforts of home. Get to know a little bit about the area that you are going to and have a couple of things planned before you arrive. The internet may or may not be available for you when you get there, so if you have something planned, you will avoid feeling frustrated about wasting vacation time. Checking things out ahead of time will give you something to look forward to doing right away.
2. Brainstorm a list of the things that you want to do. If you fly to a popular destination, your airline seat pocket will probably have a magazine full of ideas. Prioritize the activities that you decide on. Avoid overbooking yourself so that you can really enjoy whatever you have decided on. Do what you want to do the most, early on, to make sure that it happens. Be flexible so that if something is super fun, you can stay longer to enjoy the moment.
3. Make good choices. Don’t watch too much TV. It is easy to get drawn into mind-numbing shows that waste valuable vacation time. Watching TV is something that you can do anytime when you are at home. Get out of your room and see what the area has to offer. If you are tired and don’t feel like going out on the town, take a walk, take a bath, pray or meditate, try yoga, get a massage, enjoy some herbal tea, read a book you have been wanting to read, or have a conversation. You could plan what you want tomorrow to look like. It is important to take care of yourself. Do something to make the time meaningful for you and those that are with you.
4. Practice feeling gratitude. Look for what is positive and interesting in everything about your vacation. Feel the air, the sunbeams, the raindrops, the smiles of the people, hear the sounds, see the beauty and variety of the sights. Take in all that is lovely and appreciate the experience of being there. Say thank you from your heart. There is nothing more interesting than looking into the faces of individuals. If you see others with a smile on your face and find their unique individual beauty, your heart will be renewed.
5. Take pictures, lots of pictures. With digital photography, you can’t go wrong taking pictures of all kinds of things. It’s worth it to have them to look at and share, even as you are taking them. Even bad pictures can produce a good laugh. When you look at them later, the memories will come flooding back. You will be sure to experience some really good feelings.
6. Open your heart. Look for opportunities to connect heart-to-heart with the people that you meet, wherever you go. Share something meaningful in your conversations with them. You can create the opportunity if you are mindful. You might tell someone you meet something about the Emotion Code. You might even have a chance to clear a trapped emotion on them. It could make a difference in their life. Serving others by doing something nice for them is the surest way that I have ever found to have a happy heart. And it can help make your vacation even sweeter.
By: Jean Nelson
