Summer vacations are the most anticipated period for a large part of the population, the moment in which we have internalized that we will be able to have several days in a row to disconnect from the routine and the bulk of our work responsibilities. However, the simple fact that we like to enjoy the vacation period does not mean that we know how to take advantage of it and squeeze its possibilities. In fact, there are many who, without realizing it, sabotage themselves during this time of year, and have problems enjoying all the benefits that this free time brings us.
In order to make the most of and enjoy this period to the fullest, it is important that you know several emotion management strategies and psychologically healthy routines that will help you enjoy your vacation and make sure that those days are not simply a relief from the lack of professional obligations.
Having many hours of free time in which everything is left to improvisation can be beneficial at first, but in the long run it ends up being overwhelming if it is repeated too much, because it exposes us to many situations in which we must decide what to do and we feel the need. pressure of having to evaluate our decisions all the time.
That is why we must plan in advance a certain daily schedule to know at any time the activities we can carry out. Otherwise, the lack of structure in the day will make us always fall into the same type of “default” forms of entertainment that are unsatisfactory in the long term: snacking between meals, checking our social networks over and over again, etc.
This way we will avoid a sedentary lifestyle as much as possible, we will stay away from excessive consumption of television or other devices that provide us little, and we will be able to carry out other meaningful and enriching activities during the day.
2. Maintain an active social life
In order to avoid a too sedentary social life and spending many hours alone at home resting, it is of great importance that we keep our social life active, both with friends and with the family environment. This happens through share moments of active and meaningful communication taking advantage of the fact that you will surely all have greater availability if your vacation period coincides.
Maintaining an active social life means spending time hanging out with our loved ones, going out for a drink, doing some joint cultural activity, or going on a weekend excursion with those who brighten our lives.
3. Find time for yourself
As we have seen, during the vacation period it is important to spend time with friends and family to rest, recharge your batteries and enjoy their company; However, it is also just as necessary to find time for ourselves, and not feel guilty for wanting to be alone sometimes.
These moments of introspection are necessary not only to relax, but also to reformulate our priorities and motivations and establish long-term plans, devise exciting projects, and other activities that can resist us when the day-to-day work piles up and we cannot get out of the inertia of the work schedule.
The key to success in vacation rest lies in knowing how to find the balance between the activities and hours spent with families or friends and the time we dedicate to resting ourselves doing those activities that fill us most.
4. Restrict the use of social networks
Vacations help us rest for several days and relax, but they can also cause an increase in the hours in which we are connected to social networks of all kinds.
Everyone knows that social networks can have a very negative impact on users who spend too many hours connected to them, and can even generate addiction. That’s why, It is advisable to consider digital “detoxification” phases that allow us to think beyond the massive bombardment of stimuli to which platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. subject us.
5. Explore new experiences
Exploring new experiences during the holiday period means do everything that we cannot or do not have time to do during the rest of the year
Vacations allow us to disconnect and explore new places and experiences, something that we can achieve by visiting unknown places in our own city or province, taking excursions in nature or traveling to charming new towns.
6. Avoid comparisons
To be happy in life, it is best to avoid comparing ourselves with other people and avoid letting ourselves be dragged by social pressures and conventions that establish that a vacation should involve a large waste of money on exotic trips.
During this vacation period we should do those activities that truly fulfill us and make us happy, fleeing from social conventions and without comparing ourselves with the people around us or with influencers and celebrities
7. Go to a psychologist if necessary
It is important to keep in mind that taking care of our mental health in summer is an option as valid and recommended as any other, and will allow us to overcome those obstacles, problems or psychological alterations that prevent us from living our lives normally. Furthermore, the online therapy modality allows us not to interrupt the psychotherapeutic process even if we travel to other countries.
In this sense, if you want to have professional psychological support, contact us; in Psychology and Psychotherapy Miguel Ángel We can assist you by putting our experience of several decades in the sector at your service.
