Eight ways to actually switch off on your holiday – and the benefits it can bring
FIND yourself spending the first chunk of your holiday unable to relax and twitchily checking your phone?
A survey by software firm Ceridian found that only 51 per cent of workers are able to disconnect completely on a summer break, while comparison website iCompario found it takes us an average of five days to properly unwind on holiday – that’s most of your week-long break gone!
Ella Walker tells you how to slow down, switch off and relax fast on holiday.
Quit your laptop
“WE all know how bringing a laptop ‘just in case’ turns out,” says Hector Hughes, co-founder of holiday cabin firm Unplugged.
Molly Dyer, People and Culture Manager at marketing firm Balance, suggests changing your laptop password before a holiday.
She says: “By doing it specifically on a laptop to a password you won’t remember means you won’t be able to click ‘save this password for next time’ on your phone.
“That means you will be locked out completely until you return to your laptop after the holiday.”
Just remember to write it down somewhere for when you need it again!
Keep your own counsel
LISA Gunn, mental health prevention lead at Nuffield Health, says: “It’s not actually easy to switch off.
“If that was the case, our 9-5 working days would stop at 5pm, but how many of us think it’s the norm to check emails in the evening or as soon as we wake up?”
Psychologist Jan P de Jonge says: “In the weeks before your holiday starts, list the things you feel may stop you switching off.
“Show trusted colleagues this list so they can really help you start to wind down in your down time.”
Personal means personal
DESPITE 52 per cent of us acknowledging that holidays boost our physical health, mental health (80 per cent) and productivity (45 per cent), 49 per cent of us are still checking emails, WhatsApping colleagues and even taking our phones to the pool, and not for swimsuit selfies.
You’ve got to ringfence your holiday and become much less available.
You’ve done a handover, now guard your mobile number fiercely.
Limit phone use
YOUR boarding pass may be on your phone, but you can ditch it at least some of the time.
Hector says: “If you’re with someone, do you both need your phones? I suspect not.
“And if you’re feeling really organised, use a map. People got around without phones for thousands of years. You can too.
“An app called Freedom allows you to block certain websites and apps. You could, for example, block all social media, but leave yourself maps.
“Try taking a book when you’re out for the day, leave your phone behind.
“Before you check your phone in the morning when you wake up, get up and leave without taking it.”
Plan ahead
“Switching off is made easier by having a clear idea about how you are going to switch on again afterwards,” says psychologist Jan.
“Give yourself time, well before you decompress, to decide when you will get back in the swing of things and how fast you decide that hamster wheel should then start turning.
“Effort you invest in anticipating this before you switch off will help you accept and receive that switched-off time.”
And remember, you’re not slacking off in the meantime – you’re prioritising your health.
Dr Lee says: “Studies show that taking regular holidays reduces the risk of dying prematurely by 20 per cent and dying from heart disease by up to 30 per cent.”
No snooze button for you
YOU might be wanting to make the most of every second of your holiday, but cancel that alarm.
“Allow yourself to wake naturally without the annoying shrill of your alarm clock,” says Dr Lee.
“Keep the bedroom dark and cool, and let your natural circadian rhythms wake you when you’ve had enough sleep.
“Alcohol and caffeine are stimulants and can cause insomnia, so should be avoided within six hours of bed, even on holiday.”
And if you do nodd off on your sun lounger, make sure you’re shaded and have a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen on!
Try new things
YOUR body and brain need to know that holiday time is different from home and work time.
Jan P de Jonge says: “Consider doing things during your holiday that you may have all too easily rejected in the past as ways to unwind and relax.
“Give yoga a try, book a massage, try a mindfulness meditation group session, rediscover the benefits of walking.”
Health and wellness coach Phillippa Quigley says: “Think of your five senses and feed them something new – a different cuisine, a stunning landscape or even the sound of a different language.
“Stepping out of the regular rhythm is essential for true relaxation, so do something unusual.”
Just do nothing!
DON’T even think about trying to fill your break productively.
Jan P de Jonge says: “Holidays don’t need to be packed full of activities.
The Dutch have a word for this: Niksen, or ‘doing nothing’.
“An important factor in being able to switch off is to allow yourself the mindset that it’s OK to do nothing for a change.”
Phillippa Quigley adds: “Don’t feel obliged to enjoy your holiday in the way everyone else does.
“It’s your holiday. If spending a day in bed watching TV is what you need, do it without guilt.
“Not comparing yourself to others or being trapped in thoughts of what you should be doing allows you to truly embrace what you want to do without pressure.”