Spring is in full swing. We have settled into our routines and weekly schedules for 2020. We have our trusty lists at hand with all the plans we have for this brand-new year. The possibilities are endless. Our lists most likely include appointments, school supplies, family gatherings, etc. But we just have a question to ask you, how are those plans going so far? Have you checked anything off yet? Have you planned that vacation or getaway?
Does this sound familiar? Maybe you do not have a physical pen and paper list, but I am very sure that you have a mental list, some things that you wish you had the opportunity to do in this year 2022 and are hopeful you can have the chance to come around to doing them. Other items are a must and cannot be postponed or avoided. Overall, whatever the plans, they give us an idea of how our year will go. Everyone wants a good and exciting year filled with events and gatherings that make us happy.
Among all the scheduled items on our list (be that mental or physically jotted down), one point or list item is sometimes passed over or left for another planning session, and that item is travel. We should always include travel, as-in vacation time to our yearly to-do lists. At Holidays Lounge, we take pride in seeing our club members enjoy life to the fullest. And especially satisfied when their friends and family are involved in those best life experiences. That is why we encourage you to plan your 2022 vacations and trips with enough time in advance.
So, in our efforts to help you get increased satisfaction from your travel plans for the year 2022, we want to talk about how travel can help us all get to know ourselves better. Taking time off is beneficial to us not only because we get physical rest from our work but also due to the fact that we get a much-needed mental rest from it all. Sometimes we lose ourselves in the daily chaos and routine and have the necessity to step outside and regain peace of mind. Traveling helps us do just that and more. People who travel at least once a year gain a sense of satisfaction and are happier. When was the last time you felt proud of something you did? Well, a feeling of having a heart bubbling over with happiness and fullness is something that traveling provides through new experiences and a change of scene. Are you getting a bit inspired to book that next trip? Your next vacation is just a phone call away!
Traveling helps us get to know ourselves by forcing us to immerse ourselves in other cultures, adventures, and scenarios, which can shed light on how we manage life and change in general. Are we boxed in mentally? Are we stuck on routine and feel stressed when taken out of our typical life route? Going on vacation or traveling forces us to put those routines aside for a minute. Traveling helps us evaluate if we genuinely need that level of structure in our lives or if it would be healthier to incorporate some wiggle room and make adjustments for a dose of flexibility in our routines and schedules. This process of change of pace for that week or two can help us get on track to make those changes or adjustments we need. Just make sure to have patience with yourself.
Travel helps us get a better view beyond the limits we have created for ourselves or even those limits we have inherited, even adopted unconsciously. In that process of having fun, we can learn some valuable life lessons. Taking a trip to a new country or locally to a different state, province or city can effectively help us improve our communications skills and advance our social skills. Because of this, we can go on an exciting adventure without necessarily resorting to diving into the deep Brazilian jungle surrounded by lush green trees and wild animals. There is a certain thrill in exploring new places while talking to random people and walking street after street on our way to our next tourist spot. The whole process helps us grow as humans and, our course of action helps others grow as well as they interact with us. Just remember to share the best version of your own culture with those you encounter on your next vacation or trip. We must always impact in a positive way those whom we come across.
For those who have the task of constantly generating creative ideas, travel helps us increase cognitive flexibility. This concept sounds complicated, but it just means that we can get inspired by items, situations, or people not related to the problems we are trying to solve and, in the process, generate ideas that are much more original. So, it boosts creativity and helps improve our problem-solving skills. Talk about leveling up while winding down. Sometimes we do not realize we need a boost until we disconnect. Taking that much-needed vacation can help us be more aware of that need and other issues. That is why at Holidays Lounge we encourage a change of pace, a disconnect from the daily rush; it can improve our workflow and makes us much more productive.
Last but not least, nothing helps us open our eyes to the amount of stress and tension we are constantly under than disconnecting from it all for a week or two. Our bodies and mind will thank us for taking a break. Studies have proven that taking one-week vacations twice a year decreases the risk of heart attacks, improves brain function, and prevents burnout. Taking a vacation twice a year also helps with depression and anxiety, helps us decompress from stress and tension, and effectively makes us healthier overall.
Travel helps us open our eyes to our physical and mental health. Stepping outside our comfort zone helps us appreciate the freedom that we get to leave it all for a week or so to disconnect. We get the space in time to heal and recuperate from the chaos and come back refreshed. We have the privilege to let go and take precious time for our well-being. So, we should take advantage of this and start planning our time off so that when the time comes around, we can enjoy our vacation and relax time and when we come back home and to our regular routines, we can be a better version of ourselves.
The beauty of taking time off is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. Your next trip does not have to be sophisticated or far away; it can be close by, and just a week filled with relaxing activities. Go to that concert, game, or attraction; take up that spa offer, or go on that hiking trip with your friends. Whatever you do, remember to get to know yourself better in the process and make the changes necessary for your overall well-being. Nobody else can do this for you. Take the time to invest in yourself, because once it is gone, it will not come back, no matter how much we would like to have a do-over.
As part of the Holidays Lounge family, we encourage you to live your best life this 2022 and, in the process, experience the growth and satisfaction everyone can gain from living their best travel life. Get a head start on your plans today!
