Going on vacation soon? These tips will ensure relaxation.
Summer is almost here, which means many of us are already planning or going on sunny vacations away from home. It's always so much fun! ...until you get back home.
Returning to work after vacation is like having the Sunday scaries but worse. You're supposed to feel happy and rested, but often you feel the opposite.
Multiple factors contribute to not getting the relaxation expected out of vacation, but there are ways to make the transition back smoother – and I spoke with experts to bring you some tips.
Set yourself up for success: Even before vacation begins, you can become stressed by cramming in as much work as possible, explains digital wellness expert Mark Ostach.
"Anxiety leading up to a vacation can sometimes disrupt our ability to get into the time off," he says.
Manage expectations: We often go into vacation idealizing it, says Christina Jeffrey, a licensed mental health counselor and chief reputation officer at Humantold, a New York-based provider of psychotherapy services.
"We often put a lot of pressure on ourselves – we're like, I'm going to unplug, I'm going to relax – and it almost becomes like another thing on a to-do list. So we don't really get the space to enjoy ourselves," she says.
Don't overload your schedule: Both when you're on vacation and when you return to work, make sure you're easing into things.
"Go easy on yourself as you transition back to the daily grind and make few plans the week after your return," advises Melissa Dowd, a therapist at virtual mental health and primary care company PlushCare.
If possible, give yourself a day or two buffer between your trip and work for a chance to recharge.
To read more tips, click here.
What you need to do before sending your child to sleepaway camp
Speaking of summer, the season of sleepaway camps is soon upon us, which can have parents worried. My colleague Alia E. Dastagir wrote about steps parents can take to help make sure their kids are safe. Here's an excerpt:
Sleepaway camp has long been a quintessential part of American culture, a rite of passage marked by the separation of families and the blending of peers, a reprieve from screens in favor of nature, and an experience which, for those fortunate enough to attend, can mark an important chapter in a young person's journey toward independence.
But the prospect of sleepaway camp can also be stressful for parents who are weighing the benefits of such settings with potential risks, including abuse at the hands of an adult or another child.
"It is scary to raise kids today. I have a lot of empathy for a parent, as one myself, but also as a school counselor and a therapist, because so many recent news events have underscored that the places where we should feel safest sending our children out into the world do not feel safe," says Phyllis Fagell, author of "Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help." "I understand the parental instinct to shield a child from all harm."
Experts in parenting, abuse and harassment say there are steps parents can take to make their kids less vulnerable in such settings, as well as ensure they are choosing camps committed to discouraging perpetration and addressing potential abuse.
To read the rest of Alia's piece, click here.
Leaving your partner for someone else is more about you than them
Have you ever considered leaving your partner for someone else? It’s not uncommon for people to get swept up by the promise of something new or “better” and choose to exit their current relationship so they can enter a new one, explains therapist and columnist Sara Kuburic. If you're debating leaving your partner, she advises parking your self-judgment and exploring the following questions:
Why do I believe this relationship will be different from the one I am in now?
There is often hope that when a relationship doesn’t work out, all we need is a new partner. It's not always true. Being aware of how we have contributed to the relationship becoming something we no longer want can help us show up differently in our next relationship.
Am I ready to enter a new relationship right away?
You might be infatuated or eager to leap into something fun and exciting, but it can be good to pause and reflect. Have you healed from your last relationship? Have you processed what happened? Have you had time to identify all the useful lessons from the experience?
What is my motivation for entering this new relationship?
Ask yourself: Would I have left my relationship even if I had no one else to go to? If the answer is no, the new relationship may be acting as an escape route. Are you starting a new relationship because it gives you an excuse to leave your partner, avoid responsibility, or are you genuinely in love and compatible with this new person?
To read the rest of the column, click here.
Today's reads
Can coffee make you live longer? Here’s what the latest research says.
This week's advice column: 'My boyfriend won't stop drinking and driving. What should I do?'
Abortions don’t have to be traumatic. But overturning Roe v. Wade could make it that way.
Podcaster Kelly Corrigan is the best friend you didn't know you needed
Whoa! Welsh man drinks at 56 pubs in 24 hours to break Guinness World Record
All the new cookbooks (and easy recipes) we're looking forward to this summer
The last Caesar salad recipe you'll ever need
Today's pet
Meet Fred.
This photo is from the archives! Fred is Bobbi Davenport's shelter dog that he sent in around this time last year. We love Fred, then and now.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to feel more relaxed on vacation, when you return to work after
