Recently, the New York Times Well Blog highlighted a study saying that vacations don’t bring lasting happiness. Personally, I think the study is a conspiracy of big corporations to justify limiting employee vacation time. But in case you agree, here are 5 tips to make sure you get plenty of post-vacation happiness.
- Print It – Actually print some of those hundreds of digital pictures you took (or if you’re still clinging to film, actually develop the film). Frame a photo and put it next to your office computer, or at least update your monitor’s background image to be an image from your vacation.
- Souvenir It – In french, “to remember” is “se souvenir”. That’s not a coincidence. Whether it’s a painting hanging on the wall for years to come, or a special bottle of liqueur you sip on dreary nights, you will look back on your trip with fond memories.
- Record It – Write a journal, a blog entry, or fill in a scrapbook (or all 3 if you’re me). For years to come, you can pull out your recording and reminisce about your trip.
- Have Fun – This is the most important. If you don’t have fun in traveling, you probably won’t want to remember it or those memories won’t make you happy. Crucial to having fun is realizing that your plans will often go awry, you can’t control the weather, bacteria, or waiters. Amongst other problems, we’ve had plans go awry for rain, refugee transportation, and aggressive rats. All you can really control is your outlook.
- Start Planning – It’s true that planning your vacation is half the fun. So why not start planning your next trip already?
Any other travel tips for post-travel happiness?
Thanks to @cynthiacloskey for the heads up.
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