We lose two days of our holiday due to the stress of having to check work messages according to a depressing new survey by Travelbag.co.uk.
The travel agent spoke to 2,000 Brits and found that the average person spends at least 15-minutes per day thinking about things they need to get done back in the office while they are on holiday.
Frankly, we believe this to be...
We've spent loads of cash on a seven day break. Let's make the most of it for goodness sake. Here are ELLE's top tips for actually relaxing on holiday.
How many do you do?
1. Don't ever book a shorthaul flight that leaves before lunch time
Arriving at 4pm rather than 11am may mean you lose most of the day but it also means you won't have been in an Uber to the airport at 3am, and are not so tired and grumpy that you end up arguing about who forgot to pack the phone charger. It also means you won't be asleep by 10pm but will instead be eating, drinking and dancing the night away in a cool local bar.
2. Invest in a taxi from the airport to the hotel
Honestly, nothing is more stressful than navigating a hot, unfamiliar subway system or trying to figure out what bus to take when you first arrive somewhere. It may be expensive, but you'll thank us for it when you arrive at your destination quickly, without fuss and not looking like a sweaty wreck.
3. It's a bad idea to make plans for your first day
Give yourself a break! Allow some time for exploring the resort or local area. Alternatively, sleep all day if you want – if you feel pressured to 'make the most' of every single second you'll never relax. It's ok to not leave your hotel room if that's what makes you happy – this is your time, do what you want with it.
4. Forget digital detoxing
It's an urban myth that turning off our phones and ceasing from social media is the only way to really chill out. If you are one of those people for whom the idea of going 'off-grid' is actually more stressful than staying connected – forget it. We're not advocating working the entire time or being fixated on uploading the perfect Instagram picture, but allowing yourself half an hour to get on top of emails every day and the odd moment scanning your social feeds is perfectly acceptable.
5. Read a trashy book
Is a beach holiday in Ibiza really the time and the place to be reading Jean Paul Satre's Existentialism and Humanism? It may make you look smart on the sand but FFS, grab a thriller or a Jilly Cooper and be done with it.
6. Order another piña colada
You're on holiday! If you're going to spend the whole time watching what you eat and drink as well as wearing a fitness tracker and logging your steps you are a) going to be extremely boring company for whoever you are travelling with and b) you might as well be at work eating your LEON Super Food Salad and rushing to beat the crowds on the tube. Indulging is good for you (we think).
7. Have an early night
Just because you're in [insert generic Euro party hotspot here] doesn't mean you need to be out EVERY night. A long, lingering dinner; a few glasses of good wine and bed before midnight will mean you wake up feeing more chilled than you have done in months.
8. Pace yourself
Excursions can be great but one every other day should suffice. Traipsing around museums is interesting and enriching, but you're not on a school trip – take it easy.
9. Have a siesta
A couple of glasses of rosé at lunch, followed by a snooze is only ever ok on holiday so it is your right, no it is your RESPONSIBILITY to do this. Sure, you might fall asleep in the sun and wakeup with a fuzzy mouth and a sunburnt nose but this, surely, is what relaxing on holiday looks like.
All Images: Instagram
