Planning a Relaxing Vacation
A common so-called irony in life, is when a person finally gets
around to taking a much needed vacation, and falls ill as soon
as they are away from work.
The reason for this situation being common is easily explained.
Most people, as they are preparing for a vacation, are in a
hectic state; trying to tie up loose ends at work, getting
packed, finding a house and or pet sitter, finding visas or
passports, organizing and cleaning the house, getting the yard
prepared, creating "to do" lists for people, the list goes on.
When you finally set off on your vacation, your body needs a
break. Your immune system has been suffering from lack of sleep
and excess stress. It's an ideal time for a virus to attack and
get a solid foothold.
There's another reason illness attacks during vacation. Often
people choose a trip that is not relaxing for them.
Two years ago my wife and I went on a vacation with friends. We
went cross-country skiing at a resort. The cabin we stayed in
was beautiful, we were surrounded with close friends, and the
weather was nice - Seemed like a recipe for a wonderful
vacation. Unfortunately, our friends were far better skiers than
us, and ran us so ragged we were painfully stiff for days. Also,
we let loose in the evenings, and trying to keep up with our
friends' drinking proved to be a big mistake. My wife and I
returned from our vacation exhausted and ill.
The way to avoid a poor vacation is to plan ahead.
- Think about what the purpose of the vacation is. If your aim
is to reduce tension after a busy time at work, make sure the
destination will give you the peace and calm you need.
- Take a vacation before your vacation. Take three or four days
off work before your vacation begins, so that you can get
organized, and begin to slow down your pace gradually.
- Get prepared, well before your vacation. If you will need any
documentation (visa/passport), prescriptions, reservations,
tickets, etc... get them all in advance. Nothing is more
comforting than a sense of preparedness.
- Lastly, do not feel like you have to do anything on your
vacation. Often there is pressure to go site-seeing, or
participate in social events. If you feel like staying in the
room and reading a book, that's probably what you should do.