Switch off well – 8 tips: this way your holiday won’t become a stress trap

Lying in the sun, reading a good book and enjoying summer temperatures: for many, this combination is the pinnacle of vacation and regeneration. But for some it is quite a difficult mission to really find peace.

And why does it often take so long before you feel completely at ease? The body is to blame, but also the thoughts, which often revolve around work. First of all, the biorhythm on vacation must change. When traveling by plane, don’t underestimate jet lag – even if it’s just for a few hours. And the daily routine with the family is different than at home. It takes a good two to three days to get used to it. A mix of activity and relaxation is best, experts say.

Incidentally, travel time can be a good opportunity to practice new habits. Which generally rarely works in stressful everyday life. The weaker self is easier to trick during the holiday season. So many start with sports or practice meditation – to stay in balance even after the holidays. Or go into yourself and think: what do I really want to take time for when I get home?

Trick the stress hormone
If at all possible, it makes sense to start your holiday relaxed if you think about leisure sickness. Instead of lying on the beach, you take care of the hotel bed! Stress is often the cause. It affects the immune system. The reason: Chronic stress keeps the stress hormone cortisol permanently elevated, which in turn weakens the immune system. Our immune system is a miracle and responds to an infection even under stress, but the symptoms often do not appear at first. The immune response is slowed down. Symptoms such as a cold only become noticeable when the cortisol level drops, ie the stress decreases. This is often the case when you are on vacation.

Eight tips to ensure that your holiday does not become a stress trap

• Say “stop” internally
  “You should always keep in mind that if there are problems at work, you cannot solve them remotely,” explains Patrizia Tonin, President of the Austrian Association for Supervision and Coaching (ÖVS). However, sometimes it is inevitable that stressful thoughts about work arise during the holidays. An internal or – depending on the environment – aloud “Stop!” provides a clear delineation. Even on vacation, work can occasionally become a topic of conversation. Especially when stressful thoughts persist. “Conversations with friends or family can relieve stress. It’s more productive than being alone with negative thoughts like frustration and anger.”
• “Behind me the deluge” does not apply
  “Switching off becomes difficult if you know: after the holidays, problems have to be solved and disgruntled colleagues at ease,” emphasizes Tonin. Therefore, if possible: Complete all important tasks and projects before the holidays and properly brief the replacement. This is the most important foundation for a stress-free holiday.
• Call during the holidays
  “A purely symbolic cut, for example muting the cell phone at work or taking off work clothes, can help create the actual mental separation from work,” explains Tonin. “A feel-good ritual can also mark the transition: take a bath, go to your favorite restaurant with friends, flip through the travel guide.”
• Don’t rush to activities right away
  Take your time to arrive! A long list of fixed points and excursions backfires. Instead, allow yourself some free time to go into the day. On vacation, it’s the perfect opportunity to soak up a new environment, go for a walk and be completely without a plan or goal – without feeling guilty.

• Constant Availability: Disable Devices
  The brain takes about a week to really shut down. Reading business emails while on vacation pushes that time back further. The expert recommends, “If you absolutely want to use your devices, you should allow yourself to deactivate or mute the professional WhatsApp groups and email accounts.”
• Appointment with yourself
  It is best to take regular time outs for yourself. Especially if you are used to being there for others. “Because only if you have taken good care of yourself, you can also take good care of others”, Tonin summarizes the concept of self-care. “Do exactly what’s right for you personally. It can be a long walk, gardening or yoga.”
• mindfulness training
  Build mini-mindfulness exercises into your daily life over and over. For example: Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Keep your head up, your chest open and your feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes and observe your breathing and your body. Now place one hand on your stomach and feel the movements with each inhale and exhale. Alternatively, you can focus on sounds or smells, or look at an object or landscape with open eyes. Just a few minutes of inner concentration a day provides more peace and mindfulness.
• Get a good night’s rest!
  It should be at least seven and a half to eight o’clock. If you are not sleeping well, support yourself with positive thoughts. The coach advises that you can welcome unwanted wakefulness and use it for a mindfulness practice (as described above) or for a gratitude practice. Write down at least 15 things you are grateful for, whether it was a friendly meeting, a good meal, or the fact that you have a warm bed. No matter how difficult life is now, there is always something to be thankful for. This is a better way to get out of negative thought loops. And if we feed on positive impulses instead, we can fall asleep better and sleep through the night.

Your “Krone” wishes you a relaxing holiday!