How to spend a holiday at home: is it so boring? Rest right! How to make the most of your vacation? Splitting additional leave
Go on vacation for the weekend, buy a tour for two weeks, or maybe give up on everything and go on a cruise for 28 days? How much time does the body need to completely disconnect from work, forget about business and have a good rest? psychologist Maria Merkulova.
2-3 days
When we talk about the optimal time to go on vacation, we need to take into account the fact that a lot depends on your personality type and temperament. There are so-called sprinters with an active nervous system; they quickly adapt to new conditions. Marathon runners are their complete opposite; they are slow to get involved in the process. For the latter, changing the situation takes time. Based on this, 2-3 days of vacation are good specifically for sprinters: a person leaves work, immediately disconnects from work and flies off somewhere to rest. Having returned, he also organically joins the work process. If you are clearly a marathon runner, it is better to spend the few days you have without stress: stay at home and just change your routine a little, take a walk, spend time with your family.
An important point: when you constantly rest for only 2-3 days and refuse a full vacation, at one point you may become exhausted from the road. This factor must be taken into account.
In general, such a vacation is express help for the body. You get a surge of emotions, but oh full recovery there is no need to talk about the body.
One week
When you take a week off, essentially your body gets the same benefits as if you took 2-3 days off. The only plus to this is that you can still gain strength. But “getting ready” does not mean completely recovering and relaxing. Rather, you will simply get more new impressions, you will have the opportunity to take a walk, see something, etc. Some people break their standard 28 days of vacation into four parts. In reality this is not the most good way rest.
Two weeks
In 14 days, the body manages to adapt to new living conditions, no matter whether they are positive or negative. A person comes into a state of readiness for relaxation and rest. The trouble is that usually at this moment many people have to go home.
Often after two weeks you can hear: “I’m tired of resting, I really want to go home, etc.” However, if you still allow yourself seven more days of rest, you will get a buzz, because there will not be a single thought about work in your head.
Three weeks
Spa treatment usually lasts from 21 to 28 days. This period was not chosen by chance. The fact is that 3-4 weeks of vacation - best option for recovery. The first two weeks we are just adapting to what is happening. Of course, some people need less time for this, for example, several days. But this is rather an exception to the rule. You've probably noticed that when people come to rest, the first days they may not be in a very good mood, because they need to constantly solve some small problems: where to eat, how to plan the day, where to go in the evening, etc. It takes time to create a new regime.
An interesting nuance: after three weeks, there is a high probability that you will have a longer process of returning to your old living conditions and work. And all because during the first 14 days you come to a state of normalcy, peace and relaxation, and there is literally a week left for the rest itself. But it is impossible to completely restore your strength during this time. You may feel rested, but you won’t have time to get enough of it.
Four weeks
This is the optimal time for those who want to restore their strength to 100%. However, even if you can afford a full 28 days of rest, you need to take short breaks every 2-3 months, since the body has time to become exhausted and accumulate negative emotions. Take an extra day at your own expense and relax. How you spend these few days depends on your personality type and the conditions in which you find yourself most of the time. If your work involves active movement and close communication, you are tired of the hustle and bustle and lack of sleep, it is better to stay at home and allow yourself to do nothing. By the way, this is not such a simple task as it might seem at first glance.
When to rest
Doctors assure us that it is not very beneficial for the body to move from winter to summer for a short time. When it's -10°C outside and you're flying to Thailand for two weeks, it's stressful. Even if you don’t think so, believe me, the body spends extra time adapting to new conditions. If you have already decided on such an experiment, stay in warm regions for at least a month. Another option is to give preference to places with a similar climate.
In autumn, when the time of heavy rains and slush begins, summer can be extended. For example, go somewhere to Europe (where you can still swim and soak up the sun). And in the spring, feel free to go to warmer countries to meet summer earlier than usual and help your exhausted body.
Vacation is a long-awaited event, and you want to spend it not only pleasantly, but also usefully. Learning to relax is much more difficult than learning to work, although it sounds a little strange. Work keeps you on your toes all year long and involves a set of stereotypical actions - for some a little wider, for others - narrower. And suddenly you get a couple of free weeks that you need to live somehow differently. But how to relax on vacation? What to do if your body and soul have forgotten how to relax?
How to learn to rest and relax
For our contemporaries, getting proper rest is really a problem. There was even a special term: social jet lag - a disruption of natural biorhythms among residents of megacities who mixed work, home, and leisure into one whole. It used to be like it was: the sun has set - people are sleeping. Today daylight hours can last for days.
A computer at home and in the office, a smartphone in transport - modern means of communication have increased the working day by two or even three times. We have all become hostages to the ability to work around the clock. And this is not always useful.
Chronic workaholics who have forgotten how to rest can be easily identified by their gloomy, tense faces. They hardly smile, there is little joy in their lives, they are inflexible and are unable to discern grains of positivity in the bad. It’s good if the harmful symptoms end there. At the body level, a lack of rest can manifest itself as a shift in biorhythms: insomnia at night, drowsiness during the day; poor appetite, complete indifference to what is happening around.
Today we can talk quite seriously about a new disease - lack of rest syndrome. And without this, the body lives in constant stress, the immune system “sits down,” and vitality melts away. Hence - exacerbation of chronic diseases, frequent colds and even the degeneration of benign tumors into malignant ones. Such cases are now occurring, unfortunately, more and more often.
Three mistakes vacationers make
However, going on vacation twice a year does not guarantee a fresh outlook on the world and great health. Both a workaholic and a moderately hardworking citizen often make the same mistakes, which defeat the whole purpose of vacation days.
- How?! Have you ever been to the Bahamas?
Imitating someone else's example neutralizes our own desires. When choosing a vacation route, a person thinks about whether he will be able to brag about it to his friends later. He goes to Paris because it is fashionable this season, although he needs a vacation in order to recover. country house on the river bank. As a result, he rests for someone else, and not for himself.
The same can be said about the craze for spiritual practices - people go to India and Nepal, despite the fact that, alas, no spiritual growth occurs for the majority. After all, people are driven not by an internal impulse, but by the desire to meet a fashionable standard. But this never gives you complete rest and relaxation.
- Who are all these people?
Bad company on vacation means money wasted. Holidays in a five-star hotel ocean islands can easily poison the angry hiss of a female companion or the grumbling of a boring friend. You should not drag with you to the resort a person who has become bored and disgusted with the entire working year. It is important to take a break from tired relationships, to protect yourself from communicating with individuals who evoke sad thoughts and cause hostility.
- No wifi?
Another classic mistake made by vacationers is to take a laptop with you to the resort, regularly access the Internet, check email, answer calls and call the office yourself. It’s better then not to go on vacation at all than to constantly be distracted by resolving work issues.
How to relax on vacation
Everything will work out with rest if you take care of your body and well-being, emotions and mood, people and thoughts that will accompany you. The body relaxes best by switching between the rhythms of activity and passivity. For those who have been sitting at the computer for a whole year, it is advisable to spend their vacation in the mountains, doing active species sports. For those who have been running around like mad, it makes sense to stretch out on the beach and think about the eternal. But in any case, on vacation you should not burden your head with thoughts about work matters and worries. Your task is to enjoy the current moments, the beauty surrounding nature and accumulate vivid memories.
It’s good if your vacation takes place by the sea or river. Water “washes away” problems and clears your thoughts, and in the end you will have every chance of feeling rested.
Rest that benefits your figure
On vacation, you can relax, not deny yourself anything and bring home three extra pounds, and in addition, dissatisfaction with life. Or you can come, surprising everyone with your slimness, youth and positivity.
The sea and the beach are your allies!
There are different ways to spend time on the beach. If you've already been lying in a sun lounger for a couple of days and your bones are aching from idleness, then join in active recreation right here on the beach!
Firstly, swimming is twice as strong as training on land. Try to swim a lot, perform simple exercises in the water such as swinging your legs, arms, turning your body, diving with a mask, jumping on the waves. If you have an all-inclusive package, don't miss the activities in the pool with the animator. In general, enjoy the gentle sea or ocean, otherwise why did it take so long to get there!
Secondly, if you care about your beauty, then during the daytime you will not disappear on the beach, but devote it, for example, to napping. This means that you will probably get up early in the morning. Why not go for a morning jog in the first rays of the sun? seashore. Or do morning exercises. By the way, swimming in the morning is much healthier.
Make a contract!
Gastronomic delights make your head spin, especially when you have an all-inclusive tour and those around you, as if by agreement, absorb everything in large quantities. As a result, the stomach works for wear and tear, not having time to digest all the new portions. Plus, on vacation, most of us are not used to limiting ourselves in alcohol - a glass at lunch and a couple at dinner is sacred!
And it’s really hard to keep track of the quantity when it comes to beer gatherings with salty seafood. By the way, alcohol supplies the body with almost twice as many calories as proteins and carbohydrates, while lacking the nutrients. It is not surprising that after excessive and regular libations, your waist gains centimeters. How to resist?
It is enough to eat as usual - three times a day, so as not to starve or overeat. And stop drooling at the trays of pakhvala, crayfish and churchkhella floating past and take a self-assembled tablecloth to the beach in case you get hungry. What you really need on a hot beach is a clean drinking water. If you are planning a long excursion or trip, grab mixed nuts and fresh fruit as a snack.
If you're on an all-inclusive vacation, use a little trick - try something you've never eaten (just try it, don't eat the whole portion), and ignore your usual dishes, even your favorite restaurant ones. You can order them at home too. As for alcohol, the only thing that will save you is moderation and the desire to get pleasant impressions and memories from your vacation, and not a headache.
And finally, two more tips from the category “how to relax properly on vacation”:
- Don't rush into vacation - don't overload yourself with rest in the first days. It is much more useful in every sense to go through a period of adaptation to the sea, doing nothing, climate, time change, etc.
- Do not rush to work after rest - reverse adaptation will not harm. Take advantage of the photos and videos you took on vacation, share your impressions with friends, and extend your vacation memories as long as possible.
Happy holiday!
During the years of Soviet power, many cartoons, anecdotes, and proverbs appeared on the topic of “rest on vacation” in our country. The triumph of democracy and human values should have pushed this problem aside or completely solved it, but that was not the case. We decided to help those planning a vacation and tell in this article how to relax on vacation and what to do for it.
Love change!
We all get our hard-earned rest. But does everyone know how to rest properly? A change of environment brings great benefits to the human body and the restoration of mental abilities. You yourself have probably noticed more than once that most of us do not know how to relax on vacation, reducing it simply to two weeks without work.
Hard work for months, many tasks and responsibilities, but the long-awaited time comes, but strength is not restored. This happens because most of us continue to do the same things we did while working. Naturally, a complete transfer of the work process home does not happen, but the habits remain. Instead of a holiday, a person's vacation and rest turn into similar everyday life.
In a frantic rhythm
The pace of life of the modern average city resident cannot be called measured. You have to get out of bed early, get yourself ready, and rush to your place of work. You serve the program, and then you run home, thinking about your household chores as you go. There is a rush at every stage.
You also need to get a lot done over the weekend, because a lot of things have accumulated over the week. The remaining time is spent visiting friends, cultural events or entertainment.
The brain has a hard time. It needs to process a lot of requests, store and retrieve a bunch useful information, take care of future plans. During sleep, complete rest does not occur.
Trip to warm country, where the sea, sun and sand, passes in thoughts about the future. The vacationer hurries to the airport, then to the hotel. Excursions or walks are planned every day in order to get to know as many objects as possible in a minimum amount of time. People are in a hurry, plans go wrong, stress accumulates. Added to this are the problems of climate change, burnt backs, food poisoning, loss and theft of things.
Why do vacationers spread their pace of life during their vacation and do not understand how to relax properly? There are several objective reasons.
We dream of getting rid of the monotony of life and finding new experiences. But there is no other time for this, and we have to use every opportunity. Movement stimulates, and simple “doing nothing” brings boredom.
With such activity, you won’t be able to rest well. Along with a lot of new impressions, tension and stress will accumulate. Like a fire that smolders for years and then suddenly becomes the cause of depression and health problems.
To have a good rest on vacation, slow down during this time. The result will be peace of mind and improved health.
Why do you need a vacation?
Our tragedy is that we do not know how to stop. Every day you have to spin like a squirrel in a wheel, surrounded by worries and problems. Vacation and rest for humans were invented so that we could be distracted and take a break. Instead, some are still in a hurry, and in moments of calm they drown out their brains with alcohol.
Taking a break from work and the team for a few weeks helps you relax. However, don't rule out all types of activity. Spend time on a hobby, go for a walk, swim in a pond, visit interesting places that you have been thinking about for a long time. It’s just a matter of small things: slow down and do everything calmly.
How to learn to relax?
- As the holiday season approaches, think about changing the rhythm of your life. This primarily applies to people who are highly active. Get enough sleep, spend time on the beach, go on excursions, enjoy the scenery, but don’t go against your emotional state.
- First time relaxing holiday may cause some discomfort. This is a normal phenomenon, because the brain needs time to rebuild. Give him some time and everything will work out.
- If your main work involves a computer, then get rid of it during your vacation. Let the news and social media they will miss you.
- Don't make plans for the future. There will be time for this later.
- Try to drive less, give your body a break from the shock. Alcohol in large quantities– severe stress for the whole body. You shouldn't empty the bar, even if it's all inclusive.
- To have a good vacation, you don’t have to travel the whole world. The feeling of joy from every moment of life lies in the depths of our soul and is simply covered on top by constant tension and stress. Visit the places you love and take quality, not quantity. This is the only way to have a good rest on vacation.
Many energetic Russians, especially young ones, at first and then prefer a vacation “at a gallop across Europe.” However, sightseeing at a frantic pace is practically no different from watching a documentary. Interesting place requires slow immersion into the atmosphere. You need to soak it in, feel it.
Beauty can be found far from the usual tourist routes, sometimes right under our noses. Why chase other people's miracles when there is so much nearby?
Don't race for new experiences and information. Relax, give your brain a rest, spend time at home, with close friends, walk in the fresh air. Forget about haste and plans for the future. You still have time to hurry, because the vacation is so short.
Be grateful for the quiet moments, try, find the positive in any situation and life will become more harmonious and your health will be strong.
An ideal vacation should last, as expected, 28 days. And not a day less! However, not all employers are ready to say goodbye to an employee for such a long period of time.
And as an alternative, many suggest splitting the 4 weeks of vacation into shorter periods. And if in two weeks, in principle, you can relax and relieve work stress, then what to do if you only have one week at your disposal?
Temporarily unavailable
If you only have a week of carefree relaxation, turn off your phone in the evening before your vacation. This way you can insure yourself against sudden calls from colleagues who cannot find some documents, files or contacts. If you have explained to your colleagues what and where it is, then you can, with a clear conscience, turn off all phones, leaving only the “home” number on.
If you actively use social networks, then you should either completely exclude your appearance on the Internet, or put a ban on communication with a certain group of people, which includes your employees and management. However, still, the first option is preferable, because you can “hang out” on the social network on weekdays, but it’s better to relax in less familiar ways!
Just a week for vacation is extremely little from the point of view of the physiology of our body. In order to switch from work mode to a calm rhythm of rest, the body needs several days, which, unfortunately, you do not have.
One of best options in this case is breaking the stereotype. Start resting immediately in the evening of your last working day. Instead of slumping tiredly on the sofa, go to a party, have a celebration at home, or have active fun in nature. Active fun and the subsequent regime of rest and recovery will immediately “take away” your thoughts away from solving work problems. This way you will get rid of constant worries about how your colleagues are coping without you. The more actively you have fun, the sooner you will completely switch to relaxation mode!
New impressions
It is only at first glance that it seems impossible to fully gain new impressions in a week. Yes, for trip around the world You don’t have enough time, but there are more than enough temporary resources for educational excursions around your city or region.
To begin with, plan several days in a row in such a way that you can almost continuously go on some excursions or independently discover new places in your home and familiar city. Taking pictures of your area from an unusual angle or visiting those places that are associated with your childhood memories is a great idea for those who want to recharge not only with new impressions, but also with vivid emotions.
Change of scenery
You shouldn’t plan to solve economic problems if you only have one week of vacation, but you can still change some scenery. Wherever you go, you will probably take your favorite tablet or smartphone with you, at least to periodically check the navigator in an unfamiliar place. Change the screensaver on your favorite gadget - put on something that is associated with vacation or relaxation. Let it be beautiful frame, photographed by you on the first day of your vacation. Even if you are not going to go anywhere, put photos of your children or a photo of you having fun with friends on your screensaver. The main thing is that you do not associate the picture with the usual everyday rhythm. And don't forget to turn off the alarm!
Course - to make your dreams come true
The rhetorical question about whether a week of vacation is a lot or a little will stop worrying you if you start making your dream come true from the very first day. Of course, it’s worth choosing the one that can realistically be achieved in this period of time. Conduct an audit of your desires - among them there will probably be something that you can manage to do within one or two days.
A long-standing dream of going to a certain performance or concert can be successfully realized during vacation time. And more unusual dreams are best fulfilled when your thoughts are not at work. During this time, you may well jump with a parachute or master new look crochet, surprise your loved ones with your knowledge of French cooking, or master a few tango moves. This will give you the feeling that you didn’t just lie on the couch and spend precious seven days aimlessly, but spent this time on personal development and positive emotions.
Sun, air and water
Changing the usual office environment for natural scenery is a great idea for a tired vacationer. Even if you live far from bodies of water, try to spend more time in nature - go to parks, walk the streets more and definitely walk. This is especially useful for those whose work is sedentary.
Many psychologists recommend walking barefoot on grass, dirt or sand as an effective way to relieve stress. Country picnics or real ones hiking trips with tents and river rafting will help you change from a busy city rhythm to another, more suitable for a vacationer.
If you have planned a trip to another city, be sure to take time to get acquainted with the nature of the new place. No matter how wonderful they are architectural masterpieces, don’t limit your experiences to just cityscapes!
Have a good rest and go to work with positive impressions and with a renewed attitude you can even after a short week's vacation. Just a few days, well spent, can turn out to be much more useful, interesting and emotionally rich than a whole month of passive rest! So - decide what you want, and go ahead, relax!
