#vacation #happiness #randomthoughts #mentalhealth #stressrelief
🌴🌞 Are you one of those people who find themselves happier before going on vacation rather than during the actual trip? You’re not alone! Many individuals experience a whirlwind of emotions and random thoughts when it comes to the topic of vacation. Let’s dive into some common thoughts that people face before and during their vacation adventures.
## Before Vacation: The Anticipation
1. Excitement and Euphoria
Before setting foot on vacation grounds, the mere thought of a getaway can send waves of excitement and euphoria through your body. The anticipation of exploring new destinations, trying out different cuisines, and indulging in relaxation can bring a sense of joy like no other.
2. Stress and Anxiety
However, along with excitement comes the stress and anxiety of preparing for the trip. From packing your belongings to arranging travel logistics, the buildup to vacation can sometimes feel overwhelming. This mix of emotions can lead to a rollercoaster of feelings as the departure date approaches.
3. FOMO and Expectations
As you countdown to your vacation, thoughts about missing out on work or social events may creep into your mind. It’s common to set high expectations for your trip, hoping for the perfect getaway filled with memorable experiences. Managing these expectations and embracing spontaneity can help in enjoying the journey to the fullest.
## During Vacation: The Reality Check
1. Pressure to Enjoy Every Moment
Once you’re on vacation, there can be a sense of pressure to make every moment count. The fear of missing out on activities or not fully immersing yourself in the experience can lead to added stress. Remember to take a step back, breathe, and appreciate the present moment.
2. Comparison and Social Media Pressure
In today’s digital age, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison when scrolling through endless vacation posts on social media. Seeing picture-perfect moments from others can create unrealistic expectations and diminish your own enjoyment. Focus on creating memories for yourself rather than for the camera.
3. Homesickness and Routine Cravings
As the days pass by, feelings of homesickness or longing for familiar routines may start to surface. It’s normal to miss the comfort of home, but remember that stepping out of your comfort zone is part of the journey. Embrace new experiences, connect with locals, and savor the moments that make your vacation unique.
🌟 In conclusion, the fluctuation of emotions before and during vacation is a natural part of the travel experience. It’s essential to acknowledge these random thoughts and emotions, allowing yourself to fully embrace the joy and challenges that come with exploring new horizons. Remember, happiness is not a constant state but a journey filled with ups and downs. So, next time you find yourself feeling happier before vacation than during it, take a moment to appreciate the journey and the lessons it brings. Safe travels! ✈️🌍
My stress is at maximum before a vacation
Sounds like you’ve had bad experiences with vacation.
People need things to look forward to. It’s human nature. Don’t actually like the act, or what it really means, but man do we love planning a wedding…. I mean! A vacation! A vacation!
Edit: I’m stuck in a bad marriage and my vacations suck too.
You need better vacations 🙂
I try to remind my OCD friends to enjoy their vacations, because they get VERY bent out of shape when everything isn’t perfect. I totally see where you are coming from, and the people commenting that YOU haven’t had a good vacation are missing that we can also see how other people react to their own vacations.
I always feel like I need a vacation after my vacation. Less planning, more chilling, that’s the secret!
Umm, no? If that’s the case you need better vacations. I’m on vacation right now and having a blast.
I’m the exact opposite.
My anxiety goes through the roof the week before my vacation.
Once I’m there, it’s smooth sailing for a week.
What? Sounds like you’ve had shit vacations, I’ve definitely been way happier whilst on vacation every single time.
Those people need to work on just enjoying their vacation.
I went to Disneyland last week, and I kinda hated it because of all the standing and walking. But I looked past that enjoyed all the fun times we had while there.
Would I go there again? No. I would rather do something more mundane actually. I’m good for a long time. But I don’t regret doing it.
Can i see the survey results?
I’m more of a fan of a staycation. Just nice to have to to relax and literally do anything I want. Enjoy a few days by myself then go hang out with a few friends.
I’d say my peak happiness is the first couple days of vacation, where I realize that it’s been a couple really awesome days, and I STILL have 3, 4, 5 or 6 or whatever days of vacation left. I always just think that everything is amazing.
Kinda true. Here in Germany we have a proverb: “Anticipation is the greatest joy”
Literally: “Anticipation is the greatest joy”
This also applies to vacations planned well in advance. Experience this regularly. But of course I still have fun on the actual trips then.
Not me bro. I’m stressed to the max with the logistic of travel. Once I arrive? All good maaan.
Sounds like those people plan out every second of every hour of every day forgetting that nothing goes as planned. Wing it, seize the day, live in the moment. It’s much less stressful and much more enjoyable.
WTF? No. I hate the few days before I go.
Who the actual fuck is happier packing, cleaning, wrapping shit up at work, and last second planning?
And who the fuck isn’t happy on vacation?!
Sounds like you might just suck at relaxing
I’m only happy when I’m on vacation
rlly im like bubbling up w feelingz when im just chilling during my vacay
Only if they do it wrong
I too enjoy making shit up!
Source: Trust me bro
Not for me at all, especially because I have a job that “”I can’t leave even for a day without it become a mess in the future””, and getting everything sorted out is nearly impossible. The level of stress and problems the week before vacations has led me to literally cancel them.
It sounds like you might just have some discontent with your own day to day life where you’re putting too many eggs in a short vacation to magically heal everything. See vacations as a way to travel and see different things, and try to make sure that your regular life is more balanced and fulfilling.
Seems like a you thing, I’m usually quite stressed before I go
sounds like you never enjoyed actual good vacations.
Depends, there are two types of vacations. Family vacations and Me vacations.
Family vacations are work, me vacations are great.
My wife and I renting a cabin at a spa for a weekend is amazing and relaxing.
Taking the entire family to the beach, my parents, brother, my kids, my brothers kids, and maybe even my kids friends and their parents, is exhausting.
I often enjoy a 9 day staycation more than a family vacation. Waking up at 7am at OBX with a bunch of kids begging to go to the gokart track is a vacation for them, not me 🤣
9 days at home doing nothing with no responsibility, now thats a vacation.
It’s the psychological phenomenon of valuing something that will take place in the (not too distant) future MORE than if it happened right now.
Same with launches of new products, you will be more positive about the product and build up more hype if you learn about the launch say 4-5 months in advance compared to the week before.
Swedish economist Micael Dahlen wrote a book about the subject – “Nextopia”.
I think people enjoy the idea of being able to relax and look forward to that time. Some vacations may be more stressful than others, or you may be like me and don’t enjoy travelling.
>[If you are sad where you are, and then you get on a plane to Italy. In Italy, it’ll be the same sad you from before, just in a new place](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbwlC2B-BIg). – Tony Romano, Romano Tours
Driving from the DMV area to the Outer Banks was hell!!
There is a famous italian poetry “Il sabato del villaggio” that talks about this
That’s cause y’all are trying to have rich people vacations where they kick their feet up and think about their feelings.
You gotta do the middle class staycation where you finish your taxes, put up that shelf or home project you’ve been putting off, do some chores, say hi to friends and family you haven’t been keeping up with.
Vacation time is like work, except you’re working on yourself so that afterwards you feel less anxious when you return to your job.
Hey that’s boomer talk!
not if they remembered to pack the LSD
You might be doing vacation wrong.
For me : being outside in the sun > sitting behind a desk in my rainy country.
I’m about to end a depressing fucking start to the year and spend a week on a beach with cocktails. I can assure you I will be much happier there!
Not sure about that one, how can anyone enjoy the prepping/packing and stress involved in getting ready to go on holiday more than the actual holiday itself. I’m in Egypt right now and it’s absolutely brilliant, packing 2 weeks worth of shit to take to the airport wasn’t fun in the slightest.
It’s the build up and looking forward to something. I realized this a few years ago, if I have something to look forward to in the near future, I’m generally a much happier person over all.
I’m not on vacation, have you had bad vacations.
The vacations are usually great. Coming back to regular life usually sucks.
You need to go on a better vacation then!
I managed to afford tagging along with my family on a vacation to Japan last year and met my Japanese fiancé there, with both of us being moderately broke, it was likely the only time we would’ve been able to meet in person for a good while. The day and a half we spent together was my happiest in decades.
As someone who literally got back from vacation an hour back, I can verify this. It does happen on certain trips (like this one I just had). But not always.
This trip, I traveled with my mother and had to do all the planning and booking and the thing wasn’t as fun as I’d expected. But my solo trips that I plan on a whim and just go with things, those ones are 100% fun during.
Pretty sure I much preferred my time in the Carribean compared to the week before at work.