Vacations are important to take and set aside for yourself. Not enough Americans especially take advantage of their vacation time and use that time to rejuvenate, get away, or simply recharge. Vacation can be a wonderful chunk of time to explore, spend time with your family, experience something new (like an air show) and pamper yourself a little with a seaside resort or shopping spree. There are certainly plenty of things to consider when taking a vacation — everything from planning out lodging facilities to choosing activities, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful as you might think! There are plenty of online resources and guides that can help you pinpoint great locations, places to eat, activities to partake in, and help you plan your whole itinerary. Alternatively, if you’re at an ocean resort, you can simply lounge on the beach and worry about precious little else! Sometimes the laziest vacations are the most enjoyable ones — the whole point, after all, is to decrease stress!
Why Should I Vacation?
Vacation is actually important for your mental health and overall energy. Almost 40% of families say that going on vacation makes them happy, which makes it the singular activity that actually makes families the happiest. Your stress levels will most likely fall — who could be thinking about anything else when watching the spectacle of an air show, for example? — which will reduce any signs of burnout and can have a positive impact on your blood pressure, among other things. Vacation can even help improve your life span, according to recent studies. Your productivity and creativity can also increase after you take a vacation — positive side effects from lowering your stress and breaking out of the everyday routine. Furthermore, you can help support local businesses and the economy in general — in 2016, it was predicted that the international hotel industry was supposed to generate around $550 billion.
What Should I Do On My Vacation?
In 2015, almost 90% of families had to ask themselves that question (a positive sign; that’s up 5% from 2010). If you’re vacationing in the summer, here are some of the most popular vacation activities in the summer. Shopping leads with 54%, visiting historical sites is close behind at 49% and tied with partaking in swimming or other water events/activities, going to a national park or a regular park rings in at 46%, tied with doing sightseeing tours. If you’re planning on taking a long distance summer trip (one of the 650 million trips made annually), there’s a good chance you’re planning on seeing a specific destination and that town is probably configured around that destination or sight, so it ought to be easy to figure out what to do. Of course, keep your and your family’s preferences in mind — if you’re not a big hiking or camping family, for example, you may want to stick closer to the main town and more traditional tourist activities, instead of going for an hours-long hike. Neutral activities like shopping, watching an air show, or hanging out on the beach are usually pretty safe activities.
I’m So Stressed About Finding Accommodation and Lodging
You can avoid a lot of the stress of finding a hotel or place to stay by booking early, especially if you’re headed to a popular area. If you’re truly stumped, a call to the tourism board in that city or town can often help, or a quick online search for good deals in the area can be a good idea. Staying in hotel chains can often bring peace of mind, since they tend to be standardized across the country and you know what kind of quality to expect. Also reach out to your acquaintances and see if anyone you know has been to the area you’re planning on vacationing in and ask if they have any recommendations for where to stay.
This year, kick back and relax, see an air show, take a dip in the ocean, and enjoy the sights and sounds of your vacation. A vacation will do wonders for your energy, mental health, and personal life!
