We somehow survived our trip during COVID times, but it was pretty stressful. Here's some ways that we managed our level of anxiety that could be good for you too:
1. Keep Some Normal Routines
You definitely are on vacation when you go on a trip, but that doesn't mean you need to give up everything you normally do and only live vaca life, as tempting as that might be. It is actually comforting and relaxing to do "normal" things while on vacation. For example, if you normally exercise during the week, find a way to do that on the trip. That doesn't mean you have to hit the gym in your hotel, but doing activities that get your heart rate up, like climbing a big rock, can help get that same feeling. Find some time to sit and go on the internet or watch a TV show before you go to bed. I completely understand the feeling of needing to fill up every minute of your vacation with productive activities, but, having done trips like that, I always end up feeling more stressed out afterwards, which is the opposite of the point of traveling. Better to have a balance between new and fun things and normalcy.
2. Treat Yo'self
That being said, normalcy is all well and good, but you are on a trip. When you're doing the new and exciting things, go all out. It's helpful to look up a few things that you definitely want to do before your trip and make sure you fit those in. That can help you get a feeling of actually having accomplished something and checked it off your bucket list and will make the trip be more memorable. These don't have to be expensive either, if your all-out thing is standing on the beach at sunrise, that definitely counts! It's moments like these that are going to stick out later, so you want to make them good, and doing these things will help you relax and get the feeling that the trip was worth it.
3. Hang Out With Locals
We partly planned this trip to Colombia because we knew people that lived there that we were able to hang out and actually stay with while in Bogota (thanks!), but, if you don't have a friend in every country in the world, it's good to at least try to get a sense of how locals live. Spend some time walking in a residential neighborhood (it's worth looking up online which neighborhoods are safe to walk in for tourists) or eat at a non-touristy restaurant, even if that means using Google Translate on your phone to understand the menu. While this seems like it would be more stressful, feeling like more of a part of the place you're visiting instead of just a tourist there is extremely rewarding and can give you a sense of feeling at "home" when you may be far away from your normal culture.
4. Do Some Activity Every Day but Different Activities On Different Days
While laying on the beach for a week does sound like a good and relaxing vacation, for some, it may start to get boring. For those that enjoy laying in the sun, that is all well and good, but try to do something different every day. It obviously depends on what kind of vacation you're on, but planning some activity for each day can help you feel like you've accomplished something. On the flip side though, by doing different things on different days, you won't be running all over each day trying to fit completely different things in. You can do your city tour and check out the old city on one day, and then go on a hike on the next day. Or you can go to the beach one day and then to the spa the next. Plan something different to do every day and you'll be able to feel busy but not overwhelmed with the amount of things you're doing.
5. Book Some Things Ahead of Time
This point goes two ways actually. Book SOME activities ahead of time, but not everything. It's good to have a framework of the things that you want to do, but to leave some room for improvisation. Having a tour, a dinner, a spa visit, or a haircut (hey I've gotten a couple on vacation) planned and booked ahead of time will give you set times you need to be places, but you can have free time to do whatever you want in those areas. This will make you feel like you have a schedule of things to accomplish, but not be so wound up that it feels like work. And no one wants to have to work on a trip.
6. Don't Forget to Have Fun
In the end, this is your trip. If you're feeling stressed out, exhausted, or bothered, you're doing something wrong. You should give yourself something to do every day, but not be so fussed that you're compromising your mental health to do it. Keep track of this during your trip and if things start to feel overwhelming, take a step back and switch up what you're doing. Do you really need to go to the 3rd museum in a day? If you feel tired, stop and get some coffee or just sit in a park. There's a balance between doing new things and relaxing and there's always time to come back some time in the future and do things that you missed.
Who knows the next time we'll be able to go on trips with all the coronavirus around us now, but keeping these things in mind has helped me out on vacation and even while at home now. I still try to do different activities every day, they're just all in my small apartment and not as fun as doing things on a trip. Oh well, once we can travel, we can all go out there and have stress-free trips!
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