Juggling work and family life can leave you feeling depleted and going through the motions. Self-care getaways offer a chance to reignite your spark and prepare you for returning to daily life back home.
Keep scrolling for our top tips on picking the best location and activities for your mental and emotional well-being.
Choosing the Right Destination for Your Escape
The location of your trip should align with your self-care goals. Consider what you want to achieve before you book accommodation and activities. You may want a quiet area to meditate and hike or a place with more activity, like a beach resort.
Accommodations with amenities like spas and pools will provide gentle exercise and recharging opportunities. Small group tours in Italy are excellent for combining relaxation with cultural enrichment in medieval villages and wellness activities among like-minded people.
Wellness Activities to Include in Your Getaway
Your itinerary should include activities that make you feel at ease. Walking meditations are an excellent way to practice mindfulness while getting out in natural landscapes. They’re a common Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist practice involving attention to your body and surroundings.
Stride at a comfortable pace, focusing on the changing sensation of your breath as you inhale and exhale and on the movement of your body as your feet touch the ground. If you notice your thoughts wandering, bring your attention back to the sights and sounds around you.
Yoga is another ancient stress reduction practice that can be done alone or in a group. It combines meditation, physical postures, and breathing techniques to improve balance and flexibility.
Packing Essentials for a Restorative Experience
Take items that will help you unwind on your trip. Include your favourite book or magazine, comfortable clothes, sleepwear, healthy snacks, and noise-cancelling earplugs to ensure a peaceful environment.
If you’re planning on only taking carry-on luggage, remember that many spas offer bath and skincare products, such as essential oils and moisturiser. Making a list of daily items you need for your health and well-being can make packing more manageable and prevent you from forgetting protein powders or your yoga mat.
Disconnecting from Technology
Digital detoxes can help you deal with that nagging feeling that you ought to check your work emails in the evenings or scroll through Instagram throughout the day. Your holiday time should be a break from this, so it’s worth telling your family and friends about your plans to disconnect for periods.
Set out-of-office email responses and turn off notifications to set boundaries and reduce the temptation to check your phone. You’ll benefit from improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety without the constant pressure to respond to messages.
You may find that disconnecting encourages you to pursue more face-to-face interactions with strangers on your trip. Without the constant distraction, you’ll value conversations more and find it easier to engage in self-reflection. Remember, what one person sees as a self-care getaway isn’t always what another will see as the same trip, so make sure to plan for yourself, with yourself in mind.
