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Research suggests that a good holiday can boost wellbeing for 43 days after it ends, if you relax in the right way. So how do you make your holiday count? We ask the experts
As if further proof were needed that holidays are good for our health, research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) has shown that the benefits of a trip last far longer than first thought.
An analysis of 32 studies found that wellbeing improves before, during, and after a holiday – with the positive effects lasting for up to 43 days after returning home.
But not all trips are made equal. What people did while abroad (staycations did not produce the same effects) made a major difference, the researchers at the University of Georgia found. Those who saw the greatest physical and psychological lifts were those who got a mental break from work, fully relaxed, learnt new skills, used their bodies and flexed their social muscles.
So how can you make sure you get the most benefit from your holiday? Here, experts offer their tips for maximising holiday happiness levels and staving off the back-to-work blues.
Plan to surprise yourself
The JAP study noted that learning new skills was one of the key factors for promoting the long-lasting effects of holiday happiness – and that may require ditching spontaneity, says psychologist Cristian Nica. “Start each holiday by planning how you are going to spend your time,” he suggests.
Instead of randomly choosing things to do, give thought to what you’d really like to learn or try and plan your holiday accordingly. “From arts and crafts to exciting activities such as scuba diving, novelty can always be a promising start for a new hobby,” says Nica.
New experiences can spark hobbies that stay with you long after the holiday ends.
Eat like ‘holiday you’
Being overseas can encourage a slower, more mindful way of eating, says Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietitian and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed. “We tend to savour meals, try fresh, local ingredients, and enjoy food socially. This not only supports digestion but boosts wellbeing, too.”
Ludlam-Raine recommends that, once back, you try to recreate “simple holiday-style meals using seasonal produce, eating outdoors when possible, and slowing down mealtimes without distractions. Even just planning a few Mediterranean-inspired dishes during the week (think grilled fish, colourful salads, and olive oil) can help extend that holiday feeling.”
You don’t have to ditch your phone
Research from InsureandGo this year found that a quarter of holidaying adults can’t go more than two hours without checking their phones (5 per cent said they couldn’t make it past the 30-minute mark). But screen time doesn’t have to be a bad thing, says Nir Eyal, the bestselling author of Indistractable.
“Distractions aren’t caused by your phone, they’re caused by your need to escape uncomfortable emotions, like boredom, uncertainty, and fear,” he explains. “These emotions can often be heightened on vacation, causing us to search for distraction.”
Eyal suggests having a family chat about screen use before your trip and setting some “tech times.” Giving yourself an hour of guilt-free scrolling “removes the forbidden fruit effect,” he says – and habits like putting phones away at dinner can help build better boundaries at home, too.
Savour holiday smells
A simple way to maintain your relaxed vacation state “is to lather on the same sunscreen or recreate the smells you experienced on holiday,” says Jessica Chivers, a coaching psychologist and founder of the Talent Keepers, which advises companies on staff retention.
“A lemon-scented candle to whisk you back to Sicily or an oud perfume to transport you to the souks of Marrakech, for instance. Smells evoke memory quickly and powerfully because they take a direct route to a part of the brain called the limbic system, which relates to memory and emotion.”
Ditch your regular sleep schedule
“Some people say they sleep better during holidays because they can sleep at the times that are right for them, and don’t have to sleep according to their social or work schedule,” says Dr Katharina Lederle, a sleep therapist and author of Sleep Sense. “Sleeping at the time your body clock has set as your sleep window will give you the most restorative sleep.”
Don’t focus too much on how many hours you get, she adds — though “many need an hour more than they think they do.” And when you’re back home, try using weekends to recreate that holiday sleep pattern.
Create a ‘trigger barrier’
The strongest wellbeing gains came from those who could detach mentally from their work – and continuing to take calls or check emails can “take a toll still,” Nica says. “Minimise contact with challenging circumstances or break the communication lines you are not happy with.”
Schedule daylight breaks
You might not get Caribbean sunshine at home, but making an effort to get more daylight can improve your sleep and mood. “Sunlight during the morning hours is very important, but there’s no hard rule as to how much,” says Lederle.
She suggests starting with 15 minutes outside and building up to 30. “Also consider how you can continue to spend time in natural daylight when you are back at work – can you walk part of your commute, or if you work from home, go for a morning walk or run?”
Find your alone time sweet spot
A 2023 study published in Scientific Reports found that there is no set amount of alone time that improves wellbeing, but making time for yourself on purpose – rather than stealing five minutes in the car while the kids’ backs are turned – can make all the difference. The study found that people felt more satisfied and less lonely on days when they spent time alone by choice.
Take home ‘holiday resolutions’
“Although it’s tempting to try to make large and complex post-holiday resolutions, it’s likely to be the simplest changes that people are able to make and are likely to stick,” says Rachel McCloy, director of the Centre for Applied Behavioural Science at the University of Reading. “If you walk more on holiday, can you fit a short walk into your everyday routine on return? Can you institute a time post-which you won’t check work emails when you’re at home?” These, she says, “are simple changes that could help keep that holiday boost going for longer.”
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