Taking a trip is a wonderful experience. You pack your time chock full of travel, sights, and experiences to go home with incredible stories and memories. However, this can sometimes mean that we forget about one of the most important parts of a vacation – taking a break! But fear not! In honour of National Lazy Day, celebrated on 10 August each year, Expat Explore has compiled this list of the best ways to unwind while you travel.
So, sit back, relax, and take in our tips for keeping the balance by ensuring you have enough downtime at every destination.
Take a look at how to introduce leisure to your travels this National Lazy Day:
Get enough sleep
Our first and probably most important tip to balance jam-packed travel and leisure is to ensure you get enough sleep. Now, the first night or two may understandably be difficult as you adjust to things like new timezones, new sounds and even something as seemingly insignificant as a new bed.
However, after your body adjusts to the new environment, it’s important that you take measures that promote peaceful sleep. Consider packing your favourite pillow if you’re a difficult sleeper. If you’re used to eye masks and hot water bottles to lull you to sleep, take them on your trip! While it may seem like an unnecessary waste of limited space, you’ll thank us when you wake up refreshed and ready to take on any activities the day might hold!
Pack your pamper products
We touched on packing your sleep essentials above but for many people, shutting down after a long day or readying themselves for the next one requires a bit more TLC. Just because you’re on vacation halfway across the world doesn’t mean you need to be stripped of your everyday luxuries!
Be sure to pack your favourite pamper products, such as your moisturisers and face creams, your jade roller or a deep conditioning mask for your hair. And if your luggage space is limited, you can either consider buying travel-sized versions of your favourite products, repackaging them into smaller containers, or even just replacing them when you get to your destination. However, this option could be risky if you don’t use products that are readily available worldwide.
But remember, your beauty routine isn’t the only way you pamper yourself! Maybe you like to page through a good book before bed. Then remember to bring a copy! Perhaps a cup of your favourite tea starts your morning right. Then pack it! Those few lazy moments a day will go a long way to ready you for the excitement of a jam-packed vacation.
Related: Going somewhere cold? Here are the winter essentials you need to pack!
Indulge in the elements
Many of the places you’ll travel to will have breathtaking sights to explore in nature. Sometimes it’s not a big tourist attraction but rather the hot springs at your resort, the sun on your skin as you browse markets, or the wind on your skin as you zip through the countryside on a bicycle.
Whatever your destination and however you choose to unwind, be sure to take advantage of the healing qualities of nature and the elements. It’s all around us, so just look out for those special moments to connect with our wonderful planet.
Try to be present
While we’re here to encourage some leisure time on your vacation, your days will still be packed with excursions and experiences to write home about. So, another tip to help you unwind this National Lazy Day is simply to be present while you travel.
Often, the number of activities and the pace at which you want to get through them can be overwhelming. Just taking a step back and reminding yourself that you’re right there, experiencing it in real-time, can ease the nerves and help you to fully immerse yourself in the experience. You can do this by having conversations with locals or members of your tour, taking note of the smells around you, trying to listen out for elements of nature such as water or wind, or simply enjoying the feeling of sun or snow on your skin.
Related: Discover more ways to promote mindfulness when you travel!
Consider cutting screen time
This tip might be the most difficult to follow since you’ll probably want your smartphone at hand at all times to capture those picture-perfect occasions. However, your vacation is also an opportunity to cut back on how long you spend on your phone, computer or tablet.
Sure, you’ll have many reasons to grab your device for a quick photo, note or search, but apart from the times that are necessary and relevant to your trip, try to switch off and disconnect as much as possible. If you can get away with it, ignore your emails, stop scrolling on social media, and strike up a conversation with someone on tour instead of spending hours talking to people back home. You’ll have plenty of stories to tell them when you return!
Fight the FOMO
Okay, hear us out! When we say to fight the fear of missing out, we’re by no means encouraging you to miss out on anything! You’re on vacation and you don’t know when you’ll see these iconic global attractions again, so naturally you want to fit as many into your trip as you possibly can.
Fighting the FOMO doesn’t mean not caring about seeing all these wonderful destinations. It simply means changing your perception a bit. When you feel the fear of missing out creep up, try to turn it into excitement to participate! This way, you’ll still see and do everything you planned but without the stress and pressure that comes with it! Then, your trip goes from “I didn’t get around to x, y, and z” to “I’m grateful I got to see a, b, and c!”
Include relaxing attractions
The last but certainly not least useful way to bring leisure to your travels is to centre your vacation around it. Whether you’re looking for a more relaxed vacation entirely or simply want to balance out your excursions with some downtime, booking experiences that focus on a slower pace or natural beauty can do wonders for your tranquillity!
Try activities like cycling through nature, walking on beaches, swimming in streams, going to a local spa or meandering across cobbled walkways to promote a balanced trip that leaves you well-travelled and well-rested at the same time!
If you want to take a tour of the world’s most leisurely locations this National Lazy Day, book a trip with Expat Explore and enjoy the balance of rushing and resting!