Holidays mean relaxing and getting away from the stress of everyday life. Here are our tips for a relaxing holiday
Proper relaxation
And by that I really mean switching off everything. Especially your smartphone that constantly reminds you of appointments, receives emails and tempts you to spend more time on social media than in nature. Focus on the present moment and try not to take work and everyday life on holidays. Instead of scrolling through Instagram for hours in the evening you can simply read a book, listen to music or take an evening walk in nature. And what happened to the good old postcards? You can tell your friends about your experiences without having to spend time on your mobile phone. In our blog article ´Digital Detox on a camping holiday´ you can find more tips on how to enjoy your holiday without your smartphone.
Take your time
Consciously take time for things that make you feel good. This can be your favourite book, a long walk in nature or even a cup of coffee in the morning. Keep your distance from things that stress you out. You can set yourself a goal for the day and then fully engage in the experience and the new impressions. Try to enjoy the experience with all your senses. You don't have to visit all the tourist hotspots - for more relaxation on holiday you can stroll through small alleys and try street food and small cafes.
Especially when it comes to relaxing holidays the focus should be on self-care, i.e. taking care of yourself. Only if you consciously take time for yourself on your holiday you can really enjoy it. Breathing exercises, yoga and meditation can help you to relax even more.
However, it's not so easy to find suitable yoga exercises or a good guided meditation. This is where Zenspotting comes in handy. Zenspotting is an online platform where you can participate in a variety of mindfulness exercises. These can be found in great workouts, relaxing yoga sessions or meditations. All you need is a laptop and internet access - and you can take time for yourself no matter where you are. Zenspotting offers the right training for body, mind and soul for everyone. You can participate in all live sessions - perfect for on the go.
Pay attention to your needs
Often you are driving along a motorway or through the city and your mind is somewhere else - but not on the road. Apart from confusing thought patterns, this can also have completely different effects, namely negligence in driving behaviour and even accidents in the worst case.
Driving is perfect for mindfulness exercises. With these three exercises you can start your relaxing holiday on the road.
Conscious yielding
Getting into a parking space before another motorist will and making way for other motorists on the road - no thanks. When driving, we are often concerned with our own advantage rather than kindness or courteous behaviour. Not only is this not a good attitude but it can sometimes be downright dangerous.
So what would happen if you used conscious yielding to other drivers on the road as a practice of compassion?
Practice conscious yielding:
Every time you find yourself in a yielding situation become aware of the sensations in your body. Be aware of your habitual way of reacting and consciously shift to compassion.
Do this by giving the other driver the right of way or making space for someone who needs to change lanes.
Non-judgmental awareness
Have you ever noticed that even when you have a lot of time and are not stressed, you often drive as if you were? Red traffic lights are annoying, traffic jams cost time and the supposedly bad lane has to be fixed immediately.
Constant hectic driving is the problem here and the next exercise is designed to stop this.
Practice non-judgement:
Use rushing as a cue to shift to non-judgemental awareness - to engage with the uncomfortable urge rather than resist it.
Next time you find yourself rushing again just slow down to the real speed limit and bring your full attention to the sensations happening in your body as you do so.
Continue to experience the speed limit or wait patiently in the traffic jam for a few more minutes.
The American philosopher Henry David Thoreau calls this exercise "the determination not to rush".
Holidays are for relaxing. With our tips you can enjoy your holiday and even take part in yoga or meditation sessions while on the road.
