An expert has revealed surprising but simple secrets to making the most of your holiday without feeling like you’ve wasted it.
Going on vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and take a break from the hectic daily routine of work and life tasks.
However, many travelers make the mistake of packing too much into their trips in an effort to get the most out of them and end up missing out on the rest and relaxation that a vacation should offer.
Jeff Galak, a marketing and consumer behavior researcher, has spent the last two decades studying what makes people happy with what they consume and shared his research with the Wall Street Journal.
Galak suggests that his findings can be applied to vacation experiences to help travelers find joy in their free time, and he admits that his advice may be surprising.
Galak says one of the main reasons vacations fail is that enjoyment wanes over time, so spending so much time on your “favorite activities” can become unpleasant and tedious (pictured: a luxury resort in Caribbean).
First, Galak advises simply “doing less.”
If you love walking, you may feel compelled to walk as much as possible during your trip. The same can apply to going to the beach or visiting museums.
Instead of “making the most” of your vacation by filling your itinerary to the brim with your favorite activities, it’s more valuable to do the things you enjoy less so you value them more and still have free time to rest and relax. .
Galak says that one of the main reasons vacations fail is that enjoyment diminishes over time, so spending so much time on your “favorite activities” can become less enjoyable and tedious.
He says that this notion can be applied to everything we enjoy as human beings. For example, with chocolate cake the first bite is amazing, but the last bite is simply delicious and will probably make your stomach hurt.
Lying on the beach and sunbathing feels great at first, but you soon get bored, overheated, and covered in sand.
Jeff Galak, a marketing and consumer behavior researcher, has spent the last two decades studying what makes people happy with what they consume.
To combat the inevitable decline in enjoyment of “joyful” activities, Galak suggests simply doing less.
He says “doing less” can be achieved in three ways: quantity, variety and timing.
In terms of quantity, it’s important to leave on a high note rather than calling it a day once the activity has already begun a downward spiral toward unpleasantness. This way, you will only have positive memories of your experiences.
For variety when organizing your trip itinerary, don’t limit yourself to just one thing, change it up and try a variety of different activities and experiences even on the same day.
You can walk in the morning and lie on the beach in the afternoon, or vice versa. This way, there is less chance that your enjoyment of a single activity will diminish.
Over time, Galak suggests vacationers take breaks from activities, even when they are pleasurable, to restore enjoyment.
He offers the example of a massage and advises asking for a break in the middle of the massage because even though you will have a few minutes less of the massage, the overall experience will be more enjoyable overall.
Galak advises simply “doing less.” If you love walking, you may feel compelled to walk as much as possible during your trip. The same can be applied to going to the beach or visiting museums (pictured: a hiking trail in Boulder, Colorado)
Another tip Galak offers travelers is to limit their options.
He says that to avoid the stress of “option overload” in planning, once you find a good option for a hotel or flight, simply book it before you become overwhelmed by the many different options.
The expert also advises travelers to do something uncomfortable while on vacation, because this will make it a unique and unforgettable experience, instead of choosing the simple and safe option.
Instead of taking a taxi, navigate the public transportation system or leave your phone at the hotel while you explore the city to really get to know it without the security of map apps and search engines.
In general, Galak says that vacations will be more enjoyable if you plan less, do less of what you like, take breaks to enjoy yourself, and actively choose to do things that will make you uncomfortable, although all of these things are contradictory.
