1. Be a tourist at home
One of the good things about being away on holiday is the thrill of discovery. You’ll eat out at new restaurants, visit interesting museums and try new experiences, like surfing or water skiing.
It’s easy to incorporate this spirit of adventure back home. Go on bush walks in your local area, see new exhibitions at the art gallery and sign up for a class like Bollywood dancing.
2. Get a good night’s sleep
You generally get better sleep when you’re on holiday, which helps you to decompress and handle stress better.
Getting a good night’s sleep can have a big impact on your mental health.
“When you’re tired, you tend to cope poorly, eat worse, and have bad habits [such as caffeine consumption] that reinforce poor sleep,” says Dr. Atul Khullar, medical director of the Northern Alberta Sleep Clinic.
“If you’re sleeping better on vacation, you should really examine your sleep habits in your own bedroom.”
Get that hotel feeling with good quality bed linen, fresh pillows and block-out blinds.
3. Stop saying yes
Love that liberated feeling you have when you’re away on holiday? With less commitments you'll spend more time putting yourself first.
The key is to learn to say no more often and develop healthy boundaries.
“Most people say yes to everything, and then they start getting stressed out and have to backtrack,” says Andrea Holwegner, a registered dietitian and owner of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting.
“We see so many overextended people. People have to be very intentional about what their priorities are in life and create boundaries around what’s really meaningful.”
4. Exercise
You get a lot of incidental exercise when you're out and about on holiday.
Back at home, try to make exercise a part of your daily routine.
“Even moderate-intensity activity, such as going for a brisk walk, releases ‘happy hormones’ like epinephrine, adrenaline, and serotonin, which improve your mood and increase your energy,” says Suzanne Zilkowsky, owner of Vancouver Health Coach.
“It also lowers all of the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety.”
5. Pamper yourself
Capture that feel-good holiday mood with lots of ‘me time’ and pampering sessions.
“A restorative practice can be anything that makes you feel better,” says Martin Antony, a professor of psychology at Ryerson University and author of The Anti-Anxiety Workbook.
“For some, it may be a hot bath or massage; for others, it’s getting social support.”
Make sure you schedule in some ‘me time’ every day.
This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens.
