We’ve teamed up with the wonderful Dr Andy Cope; an expert in happiness and best-selling author, who is here to offer advice to our holidaymakers on how to keep that holiday feeling alive, even after your trip.
Our research suggests that on average, Brits feel their holiday glow start to fade just a week after returning from their holiday, with one in three people (34%) booking another holiday upon their return, so that they have something to look forward to.
With that in mind, Dr Andy Cope shares his top tips for keeping your holiday glow…
I’m not a typical doctor – I can’t whip your appendix out and please don’t ask me to look at your sore ankle or your tonsils!
Instead, I’m a Doctor of Happiness. While many psychologists focus on topics such as anxiety or disorders, I prefer to delve into the more positive side of things. That means exploring everything from what makes people happier to where people get their passion for life, helping to make even more people feel positive and happy each day.
And what’s this got to do with holidays you might ask? Well, I’ve partnered with Sykes Holiday Cottages to help people extend their ‘holiday glow’, otherwise known as the feeling of excitement, that surrounds a holiday.
I’ve also put together some videos on this topic – including even more tips – which you can find on Sykes’ social channels here, here and here!
1. Focus on your ‘to-be’ list
When you return to your daily routine after a holiday, it’s fair to say most people plunge straight back into the fray.
But to help you hold onto your holiday glow, I want to re-focus you away from your to-do list and instead towards what I call your ‘to-be’ list.
Your to-be list requires a degree of courage and honesty to dare you to point the finger back at yourself and ask ‘who am I being while I’m doing those things on my to-do list?’.
For me, the same things always crop up on my to-be list; I’m going to be positive, confident, loving, and a nice person, even if I feel tired or a bit overwhelmed to return to work after being away.
2. Spend time with your inner circle
There is something in psychology called the ‘Dunbar number’.
This references the fact that you’ll likely spend about 40% of your life with six core people, with these being really close family and friends, and around 20% with a wider group of six additional people.
These are likely the people you’ll choose to holiday with – or want to race home to after a trip to share all your new memories and photos with!
So, my next happiness tip is to really nurture these real, psychical relationships over those you might have cultivated through social media.
If you’re returning from a holiday, make sure you have lots of plans lined up with your inner circle, helping to extend your holiday glow by recalling memories and being with those that make you happiest.
3. Keep up the rest and relaxation
One of the reasons we glow on holiday is because we catch up on our sleep. So, why not extend the holiday glow and make good sleep habits part of your everyday routine?
A study by the University of Warwick measured the monetary value of sleep and found that if you get a regular eight hours, you’ll feel £200,000 richer! So, laying your head on your pillow is like treating yourself to a lottery win.
Let me leave you with this thought – the average lifespan is 4,000 weeks. That’s a decent amount of time, but far too short to be going through the motions. For me, it boils down to this; if you’re going to rise, you may as well shine!
I wish Sykes Holiday Cottages customers happy holidays and happy in-between times too.
Dr Andy Cope [Andy is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and the UK’s first ever Doctor of Happiness]
For more tips on how to hold onto that holiday feeling, keep reading…
4. Get outdoors
Another thought as to why holidays are so important to us and a reason to travel the UK, is because we get to spend time in the great outdoors. The UK is home to many green spaces including the Lake District, Cornwall and Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.
Whether you spend your time in the beautiful British countryside, or on a sandy beach on the coast, getting out in the fresh air among nature has wonderful health benefits, not just physical but mental as well.
It can reduce feelings of stress and anger, and improve your overall mood, which is why we advise you continue to get outside as much as you can on return from your holiday.
Connect to your local community while you’re out and about, and get to know new people – this can certainly help with confidence, self-esteem and in turn, your happiness levels.
5. Re-visit your photos
We all love capturing our precious holiday moments with a camera. Whether we’re caught off guard reacting to something else happening around us or posing with a big smile on our face as we’re surrounded by our loved ones.
To keep the holiday feeling going, we recommend a little creativity with your photos.
You could produce a reel on Instagram featuring your top holiday theme song, or print a few out and stick them to your desk at work to form a creative collage.
You could even treat yourself to some new photo frames and dot them around your house to remind you of those valuable times spent with family or friends.
We all desire to have good holidays and feel the excitement of the ‘holiday glow’, so here’s some inspiration for your next break in our UK travel guide, allowing you to plan ahead and have something to look forward to.
When you’re next on a trip with us, don’t forget to tag us in your pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too!