Taking long walks in the fresh air
While spending time away on holiday, it is unlikely that anyone would prefer using their car to get around when they have the chance to take a walk in the fresh air and drink in the scenery. If you plan on spending time in a natural setting, such as The Ardennes region, a daily walk will reinvigorate you and give you an entirely new view on life. Take this and every similar experience and transplant it into your daily life. Try answering these questions:
- Can you walk to your workplace even just a part of the way?
- Do you have a favorite place in your town where you gladly take walks?
- Do you have friends or family who enjoy the fresh air as much as you do?
If you have answered even one of these questions with a resonating yes, you are all set to continue your new habit after your vacation is over. If not, you can make changes such as parking your car further away from your workplace, finding forest areas near you to explore on weekends and inspiring friends and family to join you on these endeavors.
Eating locally sourced foods
There is an important rule everyone should follow when it comes to vacationing and eating well: see what the locals are eating and follow their lead! Consuming locally sourced foods and local specialties is a great way of discovering something new all while being healthy. For example, don’t order a pizza in France, when you have the best cheese and wine selection right at your foot. Don’t get a hamburger when Croatia offers one of the best-prepared fresh meat and seafood you can get your hands on. This mentality is not only good for you but also great for the environment, especially if you take this way of thinking with you when you arrive home. This isn’t easy but it’s so worth it if you follow a few simple rules:
- Try eating according to season (fruits and vegetables which grow during the season you are in)
- Find local farmers and buy their produce instead of using supermarkets for fresh food (milk, dairy, vegetables and even meat)
- If you buy food from other countries, think about its benefits vs. the route they have taken to arrive in your part of the world
- Learn the recipes of your mother and grandmother and try out one of these at least once a week to see what tradition tastes like in your region
Drinking enough fresh water
Hot days, trekking and sightseeing demand a lot of hydration in order for you to be able to keep going, so it’s not unusual that you will find yourself picking up a habit of drinking more water while on vacation. We all know sugary drinks don’t do any good for you, and basically are really bad for your health but did you know they don’t keep you hydrated that well? Especially if you mix sugar with caffeine - it has the opposite effect of flushing out the water from your body. Knowing this, it is always better to reach for clean, clear water - and in most parts of Europe, even tap water is better than anything bought in a bottle with an added taste! If you manage to kick your soft drink addiction while away and having the time of your life, don’t turn towards it again when you get back. Things you can do after your vacation to keep up the good work:
- Download an app which gives you reminders to drink enough water
- Buy an elegant, BPA free bottle to always have around
- Be sure to have water on your desk or in your bag, wherever you may be during your day
- If you crave caffeine, drink coffee then clear water to keep your levels in the right place
Giving yourself time to read
You have gotten all of those nice books for Christmas or your birthday and they are just sitting there, waiting to be opened and getting their secrets shared. While you are on holiday, you absolutely devour your favorites. Sitting by a cozy bungalow’s window or on the porch of the vacation house, you immerse yourself in stories from far away, and truly have the best time of your life. Once you get home on the other hand, time slips through your hands and you never seem to be able to find the right time slot for reading. While life can be hectic, there are a few things you can do in order to transplant that reading habit from your holiday bungalow to your everyday life:
- Create a schedule for your entire day, hour by hour and try to stick to it
- Assess how much time you are spending on certain things and see what you can shorten or cut out entirely (social media would be a healthy start)
- See if house chores are distributed evenly and if not, fix it to have more time for yourself
- If you commute, reading on different vehicles can be calming and relaxing
Flexibility and the art of rolling with things
Have you ever noticed how your mentality changes while vacationing? Your problem-solving skills skyrocket and you take things in stride, not sweating the tiny stuff. You fail to catch a train? No problem, you are getting the next one. The restaurant you were hoping to visit is closed? It’s ok, you will find another, even better one. This is because while your mind is in this “relaxed” mode, you will find everything to be way easier to do. It would be really important to hang on to this mentality and flexibility even after getting home from your awesome vacation. If you would start living your life the way you are caring for yourself and your mental health during holidays, everything would come much easier to you. A stressed-out mind takes longer to fix things and if you are always in that mindset, you will get tired more easily and enjoy life less. So, take that free feeling your mind learns during a holiday and add it to your skillset. You will thank yourself later! Here are a few great options for a vacation where you can pick up any or all of the ideas above: Vallée Les Etoiles in Belgium, Domaine La Sapinière in Luxemburg, Bergvliet Villa’s in The Netherlands, Grafschaft Bentheim in Germany. See more holiday inspiration => https://www.bungalow.net/en/
