Feeling stressed whilst on HOLIDAY?!

Have you ever been on holiday to get away from the daily stresses of life and end up feeling more stressed?

A place to relax? A recent study reveals stresses of work travel on holiday with us…

●     A third of the nation admit to feeling stressed while away on holiday due to work concerns

●     45% of the UK’s population feel that practicing mindfulness activities while away will combat stress issues

●     A third of the UK keep on top of work emails while on holiday

Personally, I can often find the whole “switching off” thing hard. I find it difficult to stop thinking about what needs to be done, and instead concentrate on the here and now. I wish I could just relax, and enjoy being away from the things that are causes me stress/anxiety, whether that be work, my Blog/YouTube or even home life.

Being a blogger/YouTuber makes this even harder. Being away/on holiday is, let’s face it, a perfect opportunity for content. Whether it’s a city break, or a beach vacation, there’s always content to be made. Whether it’s a travel guide, what’s in my suitcase or just some arty instagram photos, it will always take away from feeling truly free.

It’s difficult to complain, and none of my holidays are strictly work (I understand other bloggers go on actual press trips, I am just speaking of “making the most” of holidays content wise for a smaller blogger like myself) so it can be a difficult situation to discuss on my own. To combat this, I want to open a discussion with anyone reading, as well as include some handy reading materials for you to check out.

Here’s some more information on the study that was carried out (it’s an interesting read):

A new study has revealed that the UK is a nation of workaholics, with almost a third of British people struggling to switch off from work problems while on holiday.

Commissioned by luxury worldwide holiday specialist Hayes and Jarvis, the survey found that 32% of the nation admit to feeling stressed on holiday due to work, while a staggering 30% of the population have also had their holiday ruined by work.

It appears that stress doesn’t vanish after stepping off the plane either, with Brits taking on average two full days to completely switch off and 75% of those in the capital taking as long as four days to kick back and relax.

The study also found that over a third of women find it harder to relax on holiday if there were problems at work, compared to less than a quarter of men. Brits find it hard to stay away from their phones, with a third checking their work emails and almost half of the nation checking both personal emails (47%) and social media (44%).

To help tackle the nation’s stress problem, Hayes and Jarvis has created “The Four Pillars of Holiday Relaxation” – an expert guide to relaxing and unwinding while on holiday. The campaign focuses on the four categories of wellbeing; physical, communication, mental and nutritional, and includes useful tips and advice from experts on how to fully relax throughout your stay.

A spokesman from Hayes and Jarvis said; “We are a nation that often finds it hard to de-stress and unwind from our day-to-day stresses, and a holiday should be the perfect time to take yourself away from this to connect with yourself, friends and loved ones.

“Our holidaymakers personally invest time and money into choosing a holiday that is tailormade for them as individuals with the ultimate aim of relaxing, unwinding while creating new experiences.  With the help of some expert tips and advice from industry experts, our guide is an essential tool to really help you leave the stress at home and ensure a holiday really is what it sets out to be.”

Collaborating with some of the industry’s leading experts, including Mind and the British Nutrition Foundation, the detailed information pack also has a free downloadable PDF which offers up 24 expert tips to take away and help beat any stress that may creep up.

Robin Harrie of Mindset Coach and Stress Strategist says: “Plan a specific, but flexible itinerary to avoid vague, unstructured time where the temptation to work wins. Plan visits to specific attractions or beauty spots, rather than lounging by the hotel pool with hotel WiFi tantalisingly close by.”

Many experts advise practicing mindfulness, which is known to reduce stress, and it’s becoming more and more popular within society. Over 45% of the population believe that taking part in mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation could help them relax while away, according to the survey.

The UK’s younger generation have tapped into the practice, with 60% of 18-24-year-olds believing in yoga and meditation as a mode of relaxation.

To view the “The Four Pillars of Holiday Relaxation”, please visit:
http://www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk/four-pillars-of-holiday-relaxation (download your FREE PDF on advice for this topic HERE)

I hope you enjoyed this post. It's something different but I think it's important to open these discussions about stresses, at home and away. 

Bye for now,

Tamzin xxx