Heading: Take Care of Your Well-Being When Returning from Vacation
Subheading: The List That Can Help You Beat Chronic Stress
After a relaxing vacation, responsibilities, routine concerns, and other burdens can negatively impact our emotional well-being. However, there is no need to worry, as there are ways to overcome this. The first step is to arrive with a positive attitude, which can only happen when we have successfully disconnected from work and daily obligations during our break. Disconnecting is essential in order to beat the exhaustion caused by our regular routines. It allows us to recharge our batteries and release the stress load that accumulates throughout the year. This period also provides us with the opportunity to practice flexibility and dedicate time to the things we often neglect during the busy year.
According to psychologist Carola Salgado, connecting with the things we enjoy during the summer ensures a restful experience and contributes to our overall well-being.
Creating a comprehensive list of priorities upon returning from vacation is another key strategy to prevent chronic stress from taking over our lives throughout the year. The mental load that stress generates can lead to mental exhaustion. Renowned surgeon and happiness expert Mario Alonso Puig suggests four ways to reduce mental noise and prioritize our well-being. These should be included in our priority list:
1. Engage in regular physical exercise. Whether it’s sightseeing, cleaning, or going to the gym, physical activity is crucial to maintaining both our physical and mental health.
2. Discuss worries and burdens with someone else. Many of us have learned to keep our problems to ourselves and ignore difficult emotions. However, sharing our feelings with the right person can be extremely cathartic. It allows us to change our perspective and feel supported in difficult times.
3. Write down our worries or emotions in a dedicated notebook. Using an emotions notebook as a means of release is a powerful tool. It offers our brain an outlet for all the negativity that surrounds us in a given moment. We can utilize it whenever needed, even on a daily basis, to free ourselves from thoughts and emotions that block our progress.
4. Practice mindfulness every day. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven as a potent remedy for emotional entanglements and irrational habits. By living with full awareness and greater freedom, we can liberate ourselves from emotional burdens.
Returning from vacation does not have to be a trigger for stress and exhaustion. By implementing these strategies, we can better prioritize our well-being and maintain a positive mindset throughout the year.