4 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress and Actually Relax on a Family Vacation

4 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress and Actually Relax on a Family Vacation

Everyone looks forward to vacation. The kids get excited about what they will see and do. Parents get excited about sharing these new experiences with the kids. It’s easy to let the thrill of planning a vacation sweep you up without stopping to think about what will happen once the vacation actually gets started.

Things can deteriorate quickly on vacation, and before you know it the stress you were running away from has caught up to you ten-fold. Never fear! Here are 4 quick and simple tips to help reduce that stress and relax while you’re away.

1) Ditch the Hotel Room

When traveling with your family, staying in a hotel can be a huge hassle. There’s one bathroom and four or more people to share it. Everyone is trying to do the same thing at the same time within a confined space, and it can induce stress before you even walk out the door for the first day.

Instead of booking a hotel, get a home rental through AirBnB or another service. They are available in almost every major city. Not only can you get more than one bathroom, but everyone can have space to stretch out and unpack. Using the extra space to set out items you use on a daily basis saves so much time. To top things off, homes have kitchens with appliances. You can pick up quick snacks to keep in the kitchen and save money of eating out as well.

Here’s the best part. These rental homes are often the same price as a hotel, if not cheaper.

2) Secure Your Home Before Leaving Home

Did I leave the door unlocked? Did I close the garage door? You can stop worrying about whether your home is secure by installing a strong security system. With how awesome our technology is these days, you can even upgrade your home security to include features like email or text alerts, cameras, and mobile access. Imagine being able to shut the garage door from across the country!

Most in-home security also has professionals who monitor the home as well. That means you can rest assured that while you are away on vacations, someone is looking after your home for you. It’s just one less thing to stress about.

3) Don’t Stress, Decompress

One of the biggest reasons families struggle with stress on vacation is because of cramming in too many activities. While it’s a good idea to make a list of things each of you wants to see or do while on vacation, don’t forget that everyone needs time every day to just relax.

It happens to all of us. We run out the door, eager to get as much out of our day as possible. But what ends up happening is we get run down by dinner time while still trying to squeeze in just a few more hours of activity. Instead, make a promise to yourself and your family that at a certain time, everyone goes back to the rental home and just relaxes. Play games together. Watch a movie. Talk about the day. Do whatever your family enjoys doing to decompress at the end of a long day.

4) Remember, It’s Not a Race

This advice works not just for each day of the vacation, but for driving as well. Whenever kids are involved, you should make sure you allow for extra time each day to stop. Kids have to use the bathroom, stretch their legs, and release energy. Instead of driving all day, set a mile agreement. Say, every 200-300 miles you will find somewhere to stop, grab a bite, run around, use the bathroom, or do whatever else needs to be done. Kids don’t do well in confined spaces for so long, and expecting them to be patient and understanding is often asking too much.

It also helps to make sure to pack things the kids can do in the car. Give them activities to pass the time. Pack them snacks and drinks for the trip. The happier they are, the happier you will be.