How to relax, not to get tired: 10 life hacking for a healthy vacation
Olga Lukinskaya
Long-awaited summer vacation is getting closer for many, and the thought of purchased plane tickets brightens up office everyday life like nothing else. Rest is a simple matter, and yet sometimes a vacation brings only disappointment and an additional feeling of fatigue. We have collected ten tips that will help prepare for the holidays and spend them with maximum health benefits - physical and mental.
Purchase insurance and collect the first-aid kit.
It is possible that you did not have to go for medical care in any trip, but still it is better not to neglect insurance - if you need it, you can save you a decent amount. This is especially noticeable in countries such as the United States, where the bill for short-term hospital treatment can easily reach several tens of thousands of dollars. Check with the bank agent you are using: many service packages, in addition to cards and bills, include decent medical insurance for trips abroad.
The first-aid kit, despite the name, should not be turned into a branch of a pharmacy - it is enough to take an anti-inflammatory or painkiller, an antiseptic, a diarrhea treatment and any medications that you constantly take. Of course, the set will depend on which country you are traveling to; for the most exotic places, both broad spectrum antibiotics and water disinfection tablets may be required. It makes sense to clarify in advance what vaccines you need, and to undergo a course of vaccination.
Do not change mode too dramatically.
Due to the fact that the vacation period is limited, we often want to use it to the fullest: it’s a pity to leave the bar early if it’s possible to get out in the evening only on vacation. And yet you can come to the dance until the morning gradually, but on the first evening it is better not to fight your own body. Attempts to start an active lifestyle at extremes (for example, getting up at five in the morning and running around) can also lead to disappointment, especially if you break the promises given to yourself. It is better not to bring to the extreme neither useful nor pleasant undertakings, but also to take into account the change of the time zone.
In general, it is believed that changing the schedule after the flight to the west is transferred more easily: arriving from Europe to America, you just want to sleep before and wake up earlier. It is much harder to reverse shift: arriving in Japan late at night, you may find that you have just slept, or, on the contrary, you will feel sleepy when it's time to go for a walk. Melatonin helps to cope with the jet-lag and normalize daily cycles (it is better to check the dosage with the doctor). Again, on the first day after the flight, you should not plan too much - it is better to devote this time to recovery.
Protect yourself from the sun
It would seem that the harm of ultraviolet rays is said so much that there is nothing to add - and yet many have time to burn on the first day of vacation, forgetting to take a sunscreen for a walk, or on the last day when it seems that the skin is already used to the sun. Recall that to choose the best means of a wide range of protection against UV rays A and B; on such creams, foams or sprays there will be not only SPF mark (it’s better to have this factor at least 30), but PA +++ (plus signs can be from one to four), a UVA mark in a circle or a "broad spectrum" mark, depending on the country of production.
Sunscreen should be applied abundantly and renewed during the day, not forgetting such places as the back of the head, ears and parting in the hair (if you do not wear a cap). Those who use or shortly before the holidays used active cosmetic products that increase the sensitivity to the sun - acids, retinol, vitamin C - should pay special attention to protecting the face from the sun's rays. A small bottle of Sanskrin makes sense to keep in each bag.
Move
As you know, the best rest is a change of activity; for professional athletes to recover from extreme loads, peace will only benefit, but for everyone else, active rest will be more beneficial. Long walks are an excellent light or moderate cardio load, just as recommended by WHO. In addition, it is a great way to explore the area, climbing to where the car will not pass, or feel the atmosphere of the new city.
If you plan to walk a lot on a trip, it is better not to buy new shoes specifically for the holidays - it is likely that it will rub on the first day. And do not forget to replenish fluid reserves, especially in hot climates.
Try new types of activity
Even if you do not have the opportunity to continue to run, play tennis or beach volleyball on your return home, this does not mean that you should not even start. Perhaps participation in a variety of sports - this is something that does not necessarily bring to a logical end. On the contrary, it is possible to treat this as an unforgettable and unusual experience that will stay with you forever (do not forget to make funny pictures).
Where there are waves, there is surely a surfing or windsurfing school, and in cities where skateboards and videos are popular, the corresponding courses. Yes, and the bike, even if you are familiar with it since childhood, can give a new feeling, if you go on it for an excursion.
Do not scold yourself for anything
Holidays should bring joy, even if everything goes according to plan. So you shouldn’t reproach yourself if you don’t have time to visit all the planned places or have gone over in the evening so that half a day comes to life. In drawing up a plan, it is better to immediately make an admission for spontaneity - it’s the place to be on vacation.
New cities and countries are known, including through local cuisine; vacation is not the best time to try to limit yourself to pleasures or calories. Where better to try to diversify the diet and try a variety of local dishes, not forgetting about vegetables, fruits and fish. And certainly you should not be shy of your body in a bathing suit; Body preparation for the beach is protection from the sun, not a special “weight loss by summer”.
Relax and sleep
Listen to your body and give it what it needs; it is likely to be a dream. If during adolescence we often feel that sleep is for children, and it is too boring to go to bed early, then as an adult we begin to regret the age when the time for sleep was more than enough. And if it is difficult to reduce the daily workload, then a two-week vacation is a great opportunity to practice nap during the day, go to bed early in the evening or just wallow in the morning, starting the day with coffee in bed.
The means of relaxation include meditation, yoga or stretching, and more - any actions when you do not remember about work and do not check your smartphone every few minutes. The concert, especially in the open air, is also a great opportunity to close your eyes and relax as much as possible.
Disconnect from the network
Of course, it is worth notifying loved ones that you have flown to your destination - but the rest of the time to be on the Internet is completely optional. Rejection of roaming and the ability to go online only at the hotel may not be very convenient, but it does help relieve the psyche and stop plugging it into the phone on the street. In the end, if roaming is necessary, you can try from time to time to turn on airplane mode or even leave the phone at the hotel (although the lack of communication at a crucial moment may fail, so be careful).
Online maps and services with tips from restaurants and attractions have made traveling much easier, but have they become more interesting? Perhaps to really immerse yourself in local life, it’s worth getting lost in the side streets (just in case, take a business card with the address of the hotel and money for a taxi) and have a bite to eat where the sign or line will attract you, and not where recommended online. - the guide.
Fly light
You think over your wardrobe, but in the end wear only half of what you took with you, and still buy new things on the trip? Try to reduce the number of things in the suitcase at least twice and do not take at all what you do not use, hoping to start doing it on vacation. In principle, the increasingly stringent restrictions of airlines with regard to carry-on baggage and luggage only help to not carry with them too much.
Most likely, if you don’t plan to go to the opera or to a formal event with a dress code, you don’t need high heel shoes - and by discarding them, you will loose a decent part of the suitcase. Another trip is the opportunity to finally spend the probes of creams and makeup products, or throw away empty bottles, if there is not much left in them. At the same time make room for purchases.
Take care of intimate health
For romantic adventures, if they are not excluded, it is worth preparing in advance. We remind you that the most effective methods of contraception are hormonal, and only the barrier method, that is, condoms, protects against sexually transmitted infections. Do not settle for unprotected sex and do not expect that a random partner will take care of the protection - just buy condoms and carry them with you.
To take care of intimate hygiene is also for those who are not planning new acquaintances: a hot climate can cause exacerbation of thrush, and hotel shower gel of an unknown brand - irritation of the mucous membrane. What is worth to allocate space in the suitcase - so this is your means for intimate hygiene and a pair of underpants for every day so that you do not have to wash it on vacation.
Photo: bergamont - stock.dobe.com, Walter Cicchetti - stock.adobe.com, bennian_1 - stock.dobe.com, Evlira - stock.dobe.com