Need to fight off the winter blues? Plan a getaway.
I don’t know about you but I HATE the months of January and February!!! For me, it’s the worst time of the entire year. Think about it, Christmas is over, it’s cold and dreary, we are stuck inside, and the warmth of spring seems forever away. Whether you call it Seasonal Affective Disorder or blahs, the cold days of winter can be brutal. So, what can you do to pull yourself out of the doldrums? How about planning a trip? A great way to fight off the winter blues is to start planning your next getaway. Getting lost in dreams of far-off places just might improve your disposition.
TRIP PLANNING REDUCES STRESS
The first thing to do, brainstorm. What’s on your bucket list? Where is somewhere you have always wanted to go? Just the thought of visiting somewhere new or even revisiting a favorite place can help reduce our stress and puts us in a better state of mind. Allowing our mind to escape from worries from work or life, can produce a calming effect. It gives us something to look forward to.
One thing I do when thinking about a vacation destination is to scan Pinterest. Pinterest is full of exciting ideas. Often these pins are coming from people who have already visited the location and can offer you information on attractions, accommodations, food and much more. Travel bloggers such as myself will put up a pin that when clicked, will take you to a blog post offering up destination information.
On my personal Pinterest account, I keep a travel folder full of places I think would be a great place to visit. If I see a place that looks interesting to me, I pin it. That way it is always there and at any time, I can go and check it out.
USE GOOGLE MAPS
Another way of keeping track of possible travel destinations is marking them on Google Maps. If you don’t already, create an account. Once you are logged in you can set up categories and mark them with flags. I have 2 different flags, yellow for places I have been and green for places I still want to visit. This allows me to glance quickly and see where I have been and where I still want to go.
Once you have your destination figured out, start researching the area. Great resources include websites, blogs, and travel books/magazines. Even friends and family can offer great pointers. Reading up on places you want to go and things you want to see makes us happy and excited. Don’t you feel better already just considering taking a trip!!
PLANNING A TRIP CAN MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE
As I stated earlier, just the process of planning a vacation can help reduce stress levels but those lower stress levels can help up be more productive. The trip gives us something to look forward to and puts us in a better state of mind. That happier mood gives us the energy to tackle those daily tasks that otherwise we may find difficult to complete. Can’t you just feel those winter blues melting away?
LESS STRESS NOW = LESS STRESS LATER
Not only can the process of planning a trip improve your state of mind and shed those winter blues, but proper planning will lessen your stress during your trip. Basically, the more planning you do the fewer mishaps you will experience during the trip. Don’t get me wrong, things will go wrong from time to time but by doing your homework and laying out a plan will lessen those problems. If a problem does come up along the way, you will be able to handle the situation with less stress.
We all deserve some time off!! That time away doesn’t have to be some big trip, jet setting across the world. Small weekend getaways can do just as much to relieve our stress. So, use this time during the winter to plan a trip. You just might find that it will improve your disposition.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” Charles R. Swindoll
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