Why a Longer Vacation Isn’t Necessarily a Better Vacation
“Ah, this is it.” This is the sigh we all want to breathe on vacation. Complete relaxation, complete enjoyment, a sense of pure vacation. But it may turn out that finding the perfect vacation – whether it’s the perfect sunset, a pre-planned trip, or just the anticipated thrill of seeing, say, the Grand Canyon in real life – is exactly how not to get the most out of it. you have a vacation.
In the New York Times, psychiatrist Richard A. Friedman discusses some of the leading research on vacations. In 2012, Dutch researchers found that holidaymakers’ sense of well-being peaked around the 8th day of a long vacation, indicating that there is no longer necessarily more , a finding that has been confirmed by other studies.
Friedman suggests, from his personal and clinical experience, that the length of the vacation is not a decisive factor in how pleasant or relaxing it is. I mean, of course, you already know that a shitty long vacation isn’t as good as a lovely short one. But Friedman argues that “the importance of unexpected, exciting experiences.” When we’re open to surprises, he says, we experience things more fully rather than compare to our expectations – whether those expectations are related to the plans we’ve made or just how the vacation should be.
If you want to get the most out of your vacation, don’t worry about stretching it out for several weeks. Just make sure you have the opportunity to wonder at spontaneous plans or how you feel as a result of anxiety. When you think, “Ahh, this is it,” leave room for it to be unexpected.
How to Take Your Vacation Home with You | New York Times