Three tricks: How to avoid vacation stress
We want to recover - and stress ourselves out beforehand, so that everything is perfect during the holidays. Not very smart, or? Two experts from the Asklepios Clinic Harburg's Center for Mental Health give tips on how to relax during and after the vacation.
Summer vacation is just around the corner and the anticipation is great. However, preparing for the trip can quickly become stressful. Two experts from the Asklepios Clinic Harburg's Center for Mental Health, Dr. Bettina Löhberg and Nicole Plinz, give advice on how to relax during and after the vacation.
1. Checking vacation goals
The choice of travel destination should correspond to personal desires, not the expectations of others. Nicole Plinz, Head of Therapy in the Stress Medicine Center: "People often go to Thailand instead of Amrum because of others' expectations, and come back stressed and unhappy. Ask yourself: Am I fulfilling a picture or my desires?" The right choice of vacation destination can significantly improve relaxation.
2. "Permission" for relaxation
Our own expectations of the vacation can be very high, adding extra pressure. Dr. Bettina Löhberg, Senior Physician in the Stress Medicine Center: "Taking a vacation is not easy! The free time is often loaded with very high expectations: It should be harmonious, exciting, restful - all these demands create stress." Therefore, one should give oneself time for aimless leisure every day: "just do nothing or aimlessly do something."
3. Overloading the brain
Even if we cannot always be at our dream destination, imagining desired places can help relax the brain, as Nicole Plinz explains: "Since several of its areas cannot distinguish between fiction and reality, you can simply imagine Sehnsuchtsorte. The brain then thinks it is actually there." This technique can also provide relaxation in everyday life.
Additionally, the experts recommend building a buffer between the last work day and the first vacation day, as well as between the last vacation day and the first work day. And: "Good organization can help, for example, dealing effectively with others' wishes", so Plinz.
In the midst of planning for vacation, it's important for employees to remember that their chosen destination should align with their personal desires, not external expectations. This can help prevent returning from vacation stressed and unhappy, as advised by Nicole Plinz, Head of Therapy in the Stress Medicine Center at Asklepios Clinic Harburg's Center for Mental Health.
During vacation, it's essential to give oneself permission to relax, even if expectations are high. Dr. Bettina Löhberg, Senior Physician in the Stress Medicine Center at Asklepios Clinic Harburg's Center for Mental Health, suggests setting aside time for aimless leisure to reduce stress.
Amidst the Corona Crisis, many employees are working from home, making it challenging to fully disconnect during vacation. To combat this, one can practice "imagining desired places" to help relax the brain, as suggested by Nicole Plinz. This technique can be beneficial during both vacation and home office periods.
