With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about where you’d like to spend that special time this year. Taking some vacation days to relax at home can be the calming experience you’re looking for. However, if you’re smack dab in the middle of a winter wonderland and in need of some sand and sunshine, a tropical vacation may be just what the doctor ordered. Read on for more reasons to get away to a tropical paradise this holiday season.
Create a Family Tradition
Whether it’s meeting extended family on one of many Bermuda cruises, or just getting away with your significant other for a long weekend, traditions like these can create memories that last a lifetime. Eating Christmas cookies in grandma’s basement can create memories, but wouldn’t eating cookies with grandma with your feet in the sand and the sun on your face be just as delightful? This type of family tradition takes away the pressure to purchase presents as well. The trip is a gift in itself and one that has more than material benefits to offer.
Enjoy the Health Benefits
The list of physical health benefits related to taking a vacation is quite long. Increased vitamin D after prolonged sun exposure, salt and minerals in the sea soothing aching muscles, and increased calorie burn by moving around in the water are just a couple of examples of the gains you can make during your time away. These benefits don’t occur just during the time you’re away, though; they can start as soon as your trip is booked. Research has shown that the positive effects on mood can be present up to eight weeks prior to your trip and remain five weeks after. This long-term reduction in stress and lift in mood reduces the chance of experiencing a cardiac event.
Learn Something New
Holiday traditions can be vastly different across cultures. Traveling to new destinations during this time of year provides you with an opportunity to experience the holiday in an exciting new way. Whether watching a Junkanoo parade in the Caribbean or lighting of the Banyan Tree in Hawaii, participating in a celebration outside your usual traditions can be quite uplifting and give a different perspective on the holiday season.
Unplug
It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of “scroll, watch, check email, repeat” in your daily downtime. Being immersed in a new environment is the perfect time to put the phone down and close the laptop. Taking this opportunity to soak up the sunshine and breathe sea air can put you in a state of mindfulness that you will never achieve with doom-scrolling.
Give Back
The holiday season does not have to be about rest and relaxation only for yourself. It can also be a time for giving of yourself that you may not have the time or energy for in your daily life. You can use this time as an opportunity to volunteer while also taking some time for yourself. Whether it’s contributing to conservation efforts in the Galapagos or farming in South America, you can take this time to enjoy the sun and sand and do good all at once.
Treat Yourself
It’s been a long year. The stress of work or home life along with the monotony of day-to-day living can really take its toll. You deserve a break and you deserve all the benefits that come from taking some time away. Caring for yourself reduces stress and provides the mental clarity needed to perform well at work and home. This is an investment not only in yourself but those who depend on you.
The holidays are only as stressful as you decide to make them. For some, the traditional gift-giving family time at home is the preferred way to celebrate. Others need time away to regroup, reconnect and recharge. Both methods of celebration are valuable and whichever you choose, make sure you make the occasion one of immersion in the activities you value most.
