Monika Virga, a 38-year-old Norway-based entrepreneur, said she was worried about going from working 20 hours a day to next to nothing during the holidays.
“I…end up going back to my email and checking on work that I don’t need to be a part of,” she said. “When I got home, I realized I didn’t even feel like I was on vacation because I was doing all these unhealthy habits.”
But now that has changed.
Virga began preparing for her trip to Morocco two years ago in October.
Monica Virga and her daughter camel ride in Marrakech, Morocco.
Source: Monica Virga Alverno
“Starting at the end of August, I started doing a little extra work for a few hours once a week,” she said. She also packs her belongings three to four weeks in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
Her approach reflects the advice of American psychologist Guy Winch, a member of the American Psychological Association, who told CNBC Travel that advance planning is key. He shared three tips for getting enough rest and recharging during the holidays.
1. Slow down before setting off
When people are constantly busy, it can take days or even weeks for them to slow down, Winch said.
“What often happens is people try to get ahead at work before going on vacation,” he says. “They’re already stressed and tired before they even leave the house.”
Therefore, on short trips, you may only get used to the rhythm of vacation until the end of the trip.
The solution is not to stop everything, but to get used to a slower rhythm.
“So you’re in third gear instead of fifth gear,” he said. “It’s a little easier and faster to get off first.”
2. Follow your own pace
Planning your activities according to your physical and mental abilities will make your vacation relaxing. One way to do that, says Winch, is to focus on experience.
Virga, a mother of two young children, no longer crams in activities when she travels. Instead, she looks for calming experiences for her family.
That includes “a childcare component where you can go get a massage, go do yoga, and take care of the kids,” she said.
She said it’s no longer about checking off the perfect bucket list, but doing activities that interest you.
“I now strongly believe that traditional vacations were not created for parents, like the idea of going on a cruise ship…or even an all-inclusive resort,” she said. “Kids are eating a lot of really bad food. There’s a lot of overstimulation.”
Managing expectations is also important to making your vacation a relaxing experience. Marissa Goldstein, a mother of four, said she believes parents are setting themselves up for failure the moment they start chasing the perfect vacation.
“They’re going to end up feeling like I’m a terrible parent or my kids are terrible people,” she said. “[Or you’re thinking]’Why can’t I travel like everyone else I see on Instagram?'”
Her family travels without a set plan.
“We just figure it out…if we get lost that day, we don’t have any expectations,” Goldstein said.
Marissa Goldstein and her Korean family.
Source: Marissa Goldstein, @twinsonthegox2
To keep kids interested, she uses ChatGPT to create scavenger hunts around destinations, making sure they are suitable for young people.
“Our best experiences are when it’s actually happening. When it’s dirty, when we’re having fun, and it’s not expensive and extravagant,” she said.
She added that while she enjoys luxurious vacations, it has nothing to do with her children.
3. Step away from your “work self”
Winch, the psychologist, says vacations are only restorative when you mentally disconnect from work.
He added that taking a vacation is not just about traveling to another destination, but also about taking a mental break.
But it can be difficult to mentally unplug from work, and for independent contractors like Goldstein, it can seem nearly impossible.
“When you’re working for yourself, it’s really hard to separate yourself from your work,” Goldstein says. One way she has found to get around this problem is by taking alternating shifts with her husband while traveling.
Winch says he’s taking a similar approach. “You can’t completely separate it…sometimes you have to respond, but within very specific times that don’t interfere with other things,” he said.
He emphasizes the importance of accepting work when it’s convenient for you, rather than committing to work at a set time. “Set your schedule when it’s convenient for you,” he said.
