A good holiday doesn't have to be a perfect one

Give yourself a break while on your summer break says John Truong of Barnet charity Meridian Wellbeing

A close up of a red bucket and spade on a beach — Ross, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Taking a proper break is important. The time away from work and everyday responsibilities gives us a chance to rest, change pace and reconnect with the people who matter most. It also helps us recharge, enjoy one another’s company and make memories together.

Just as importantly, holidays give us permission to switch off from work and routine. You don’t need to be constantly productive or feel like every moment has to be spent ‘working on’ yourself. Sometimes, simply enjoying the break is enough.

That being said, it can take time to switch off, so before your holiday, give yourself enough time to make arrangements, hand over responsibilities and prepare for your journey. Once you arrive, give yourself time to settle in. Relaxation does not always happen the moment a holiday begins.

One of my colleagues was reminded of this while arranging a recent family holiday. Choosing where to stay and making sure everyone was accounted for took more energy than expected. There were rooms to organise, travel arrangements to confirm, a cot to request for a toddler and accommodation to find for a much-loved dog, and that was before the packing list had even been written.

It was a useful reminder that organising a relaxing break can sometimes feel like a task in itself. Rather than expecting to feel instantly relaxed, it helps to give everyone, including yourself, time to arrive, settle in and gradually switch off.

Make space for what matters most

Because time away is precious, you may feel the need to ‘make the most of every minute’. You may plan a long list of places to visit and activities to try, but squeezing everything in can quickly turn a holiday into another busy schedule.

It can help to talk before you go about what everyone wants from the break. One person may want to explore, while another needs time to rest. Choosing a few things that really matter, while keeping the rest flexible, can help everyone enjoy the holiday at their own pace.

Another colleague had an experience that showed just how valuable that flexibility can be. The evening before travelling to their next destination, they discovered that their hotel could no longer accommodate them. Their first reaction was understandably to feel stressed.

But by working together as a family, they stayed calm, contacted the booking agency and were moved to a hotel in a different town. This was somewhere that had never appeared on their original itinerary and it became the highlight of their trip. The change was not something they would have chosen, but it gave them an experience they still remember fondly.

Give yourself permission to switch off

A good holiday doesn’t need to include everything, and its success shouldn’t be measured by how many places you visit or activities you complete. What matters is having the chance to pause, enjoy one another’s company and return home feeling that you’ve had a genuine break.

If you need a little time alone, a slower morning or a change of plan, that’s okay too. A quiet walk, sitting somewhere peaceful, reading a book or taking a few minutes to breathe can all give your mind a chance to reset, but you don’t have to turn your holiday into another to-do list.

Look for the small moments that bring happiness, calm or enjoyment: a shared meal; an unexpected view; a conversation that lasts longer than planned; or simply the chance to rest without rushing.

If stress, worry or anxiety comes with you while you’re away, try not to see it as a sign that the holiday has gone wrong. It’s possible to acknowledge those feelings while still making space for rest, enjoyment and connection.

Meridian Wellbeing’s Wellbeing Toolkit (available free at meridianwellbeing.com) includes practical resources you can use at your own pace, if you feel they would be helpful. These include:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meditation: A guided meditation that gently helps you relax different areas of the body and unwind before sleep.
Guided Breathing Technique: A simple grounding exercise designed to slow your breathing and bring you back to the present moment.
Worry Diary: A simple but effective tool to help you explore worries, gain perspective and identify solutions.
The Word on Wellbeing Podcast: Hear from experts and guests on a wide range of wellbeing topics.

At Meridian Wellbeing, we believe looking after your mental and physical wellbeing is about finding small, sustainable ways to support yourself every day, including giving yourself permission to rest and enjoy time away.

And if you do find that you’re struggling, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Our Counselling and CBT service provides a safe and confidential space to talk with a trained therapist about anxiety, stress, low mood or feeling overwhelmed.

So, wherever you’re heading this summer, take a breath, switch off where you can and enjoy the people, places and moments that matter to you. After all, a good holiday doesn’t have to be a perfect one.

John Truong is head of operations at Meridian Wellbeing.

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