How to relax on vacation? It’s easier said than done. As much as we love a holiday, the combination of planning, booking, traveling, and being in an unfamiliar place can be exceedingly stressful. Truly, there’s nothing worse than returning from a trip feeling more uptight than before you left. Ever need a vacation from your vacation? Not fun.

So, below, we round up the best ways to make sure you actually relax on vacation—from the ultimate packing tips to advice from experts on the best ways to truly unwind.

Pack properly

When it comes to organizing your holiday, spontaneity can be really fun. Booking flights, activities, and restaurants all can be improved with a sprinkling of carpe diem. For packing, however, organization is key. Whatever you do, don’t leave packing until the day of travel. There will undoubtedly be a few items that spring to mind just before you head out the door, so make sure you aren’t already frazzled and sick of packing when that happens.

Making a list is always helpful in ensuring you don’t forget anything important, but if you’re not a list kind of person, then just make sure you give yourself enough time to remember anything important. Start with the essentials: passport, phone, charger, keys, wallet, visas or travel documents, prescription medication.

Throwing a bunch of mismatched clothing items is never the best policy, so think of what the weather will be like at your destination, dress codes at any fancy restaurants or events you might be attending, cozy outfits for evenings in, and suitable footwear for a variety of activities (there’s nothing worse than discovering the only shoes you’ve brought give you blisters on day one). For toiletries, packing your liquids in a transparent plastic bag will save you time during security, so you aren’t frantically scrambling through your bags while in line.

Structure and schedules can help

Organized fun may not always be the best kind of fun, but when it comes to being able to enjoy your holiday to the fullest, sometimes a little structure is the best way to achieve that. Think about what you want to get out of your vacation: Is there a particular restaurant you want to try? A museum you’ve been desperate to visit? A beach you can picture yourself snoozing on? Doing your research will help guarantee you can slot in everything you want to experience during your trip.

Booking restaurants or bars in advance will save you valuable time; buying tickets for galleries or museums means that you won’t be forced to wait in line for hours on end; and a quick Google search of a beach will tell you how long you need to leave for transport there and back, plus anything else of note (when does it get crowded, are there sun beds, are there places for food nearby, etc.).

Of course, leave yourself some time for last-minute decisions and spontaneity. The unexpected is often the most fun, but only if you’re in the best mindset to embrace it when it appears.

Spend some time outside

For most of us, the majority of our working days are spent indoors. Vacations are a great time to get some much-needed fresh air and vitamin D, plus there can be some serious health benefits to getting outdoors on your holidays. “Spending time in nature helps travelers relax by reducing their mental fatigue, boosting happiness, and restoring their concentration,” Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja, a Positive Psychologist (MAPP), founder of Mind Ninja, and author of Navigating A Squiggly Life, tells Traveler. “An unthreatening natural environment allows the mind to wander freely and relaxes the brain’s strong focus on specific tasks.”

That’s not to say you need to prioritize exercise on your holidays, but raising your heart rate slightly during a trip, be it from walking, swimming, hiking, or dancing, can do wonders for your ability to relax for the rest of your time away. “Studies show that travelers spending time in nature and taking part in hikes, walks, or cycling exhibit a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension,” Dr. Khwaja explains. “Research also shows that tourists staying in green environments produce lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.” All that to say, simply spending more time outdoors can help you relax on your travels and therefore more fully enjoy your time away.

Soak up the local culture

Immersing yourself in a new place’s culture and history can help you unwind. It can be hard to switch off from the stresses of home, whether that is stressing about your workload when you return, resisting the urge to check your emails, or worrying about family members waiting for you at home. Meeting new people, learning new things, and educating yourself about the place you are visiting can help you get out of your head and momentarily forget those stressors waiting for you.

“Taking holidays can enhance our quality of life and happiness through the experience of new, novel moments, increasing our sense of meaning, and an increase in positive emotions, such as awe, gratitude, and curiosity when we immerse ourselves in different cultures,” Dr. Khwaja says. “Studies also report that traveling and taking a break from work reduces work stress, exhaustion, and absenteeism through the practice of switching off, slowing down, and prioritizing experiences that nourish travelers.”

Cognisomatic hypnotherapist Jessica Boston explains why broadening your horizons might help your mental health long after your holiday ends. “Being in a different environment to our usual one challenges the algorithms of our perceptual reality. Our subconscious mind makes sense of the world through our standardized algorithms of safety and possibility,” she explains. “When we are on holiday, our subconscious mind takes information in and decides if something is the same, similar, or different to something it already knows, and then takes action on how to respond appropriately—for example, recognizing any potential threats or danger).”

Traveling gives us a perfect time to exercise these mental skills. Boston goes on to say, “It’s easy through times of stress for these processes of coming to terms with our perceptual reality to get more narrow. We become lazy and more ‘blanket’ in how we perceive new experiences, which can damage our mental health. Travel challenges our perceptual reality and sets off a chain reaction where we can make sense of the wider world more easily. This can help us become more hopeful of what we can achieve beyond our basic understanding and, therefore, help us to feel better. We begin to think: ‘If this is possible, what else is possible?’”

Take your time

We rush around every day, running to catch trains and hurrying through our commutes, finishing off tasks as quickly as possible and willing the clock to move faster so we can finish work and rush back home. It can be tempting to treat holidays the same way—rushing to make sure you can squeeze in everything you want to do in a short period of time. But holidays are a time to pause and slow things down. It’s not often that we return to a destination more than once, so it’s important to appreciate the little things as much as possible. Pacing yourself through activities and things you’d like to do means you give yourself the time to actually enjoy each individual moment. Give yourself longer time periods that you think you might need to explore, so that if you end up really enjoying something in particular, you don’t need to rush onto the next thing.

Practice mindfulness

Before you skip this section, hear me out. I don’t mean you need to meditate on your next holiday (although if you’d like to do so, go ahead). Being mindful allows you to appreciate things you may otherwise have overlooked. Take your time to think about all the different sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of your new surroundings. Looking up, for example, is a travel tip I’ve often received; as weird as it sounds, by glancing upwards now and then you might catch sight of intriguing architecture, tiled buildings, murals on walls, or—if you’re lucky—a buzzing rooftop bar you won’t have noticed otherwise.

“In our hectic daily lives, the urgent pace driven by our anxieties and a demanding culture often keeps us from being in the present moment,” Boston explains. “There is a bid for attention from so many outlets, and anything related to survival keeps us constantly watching for imminent danger. This habitual state makes it challenging to be truly present as our minds continuously w1orks overtime.”

“Stepping away from the familiar environment that reinforces these patterns offers a natural break from survival cycles,” she expands. “Slowing down to pay attention to new cultures, sights, and sounds helps us to be fully in the present, which recalibrates our relationship with time and effortlessly realigns our priorities. Suddenly, the pressure of a work email diminishes when juxtaposed with centuries of history or diverse ways of life. By slowing down, you will find that you discover new aspects of yourself and find simple joys that remind you that now is the time is now to fully enjoy yourself. Your ability to practice being present will reshape your perspective and reposition your priorities leading to a greater sense of inner peace.”

Dr. Khwaja agrees: “A key way in which our brain can benefit from traveling is through the practice of being mindful abroad. Researchers report practicing mindfulness as a tourist, such as increasing awareness of our external environment, grounding ourselves to the present moment, and non-judgmental perception about a destination has positive impacts on our wellbeing, actions, and thinking responses. Mindfulness allows us to move from stress to awareness and broadens our attention to reframe life circumstances in a positive way.”

Treat yourself while on your trip

Obviously, a vacation in itself is a treat—and it can be an expensive one at that. But if you are already going on holiday, then it’s important to make sure that you aren’t spending the entire trip worrying about how much everything costs and scrimping on experiences while you’re there. This harks back to the earlier point about organization: If you plan accordingly, you’ll be able to balance out more affordable experiences with some finer ones too. A vacation is supposed to be a spoiling experience, so make sure you give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the trip as much as you can afford to.

Don’t put too much pressure on the vacation

Having said that, it’s equally as important to realize that a holiday is not always guaranteed to go entirely smoothly. It’s helpful to remind yourself that you are in a new-to-you place and you cannot plan for every potential. There are endless amounts of variables that can occur, and attempting to plan for all of them is never going to work. Do what you can to prepare yourself physically and mentally, but once you arrive at your destination, try your best to relinquish attempts to control anything and everything. This is a chance for you to fully relax, kick back, and enjoy the little time we get each year to let things unfold naturally.

Here’s how health pros better cope with jet lag, long-haul flights, traveler’s constipation (yes, it’s a thing), and more.

Travel can open our eyes to unique and memorable experiences. As of January 2023, 52 percent of Americans surveyed for a U.S. Travel Association survey say they’re planning to travel for leisure in the next six months.

And both travel and time off work (and our day-to-day routines) tend to be good for well-being. One study from earlier this year found that people who were able to travel frequently reported better mental, physical, and emotional health than those who stayed closer to home.

But let’s be real. From flight and train delays to travel-related tummy troubles to jumping time zones, seeing the world isn’t all glamor and awe-inspiring all the time.

“It’s hard on our physical bodies,” says Akil Palanisamy, MD, an integrative medicine doctor in San Francisco and the author of The T.I.G.E.R. Protocol: An Integrative, 5-Step Program to Treat and Heal Your Autoimmunity.

“Prolonged immobility can lead to aches and pains,” he says. Think of how much time you spend sitting on long-haul flights and waiting for other transportation. Sitting for long stretches can increase risk of blood clots, which is a serious medical problem, research shows.

”The change of time zones can disrupt our circadian rhythm and impair sleep; and dehydration is a risk, especially if you travel by air,” Dr. Palanisamy adds.

Unexpected hiccups during the journey (such as lost bags or traffic) can amplify stress levels. And our digestion doesn’t always dig adventure. Diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion are all more likely to occur when you’re abroad compared with at home, other research finds.

Rather than let all of this keep you home or ruin your trip, follow these expert-backed tips for smarter, healthier travel.

1. Move When You Have the Chance To

Traveling by car, plane, or bus leaves few options for steps or movement. So, make the most of your time and space between stops, says Haley Perlus, PhD, a sport and performance psychologist based in Denver.

“I bypass any moving walkways, escalators, or elevators in favor of walking. Taking every opportunity to move and be active while traveling is so helpful when I’m trying to adjust to time changes, not go stir-crazy waiting at the gate, and keep an overall healthy lifestyle,” she explains.

Once she reaches her destination, Dr. Perlus keeps her sneakers handy. It’s okay to take a break from your usual workouts while on vacation (and can be a good thing to mix up your routine if you do typically follow a rigorous exercise schedule). But do make time for some movement, she says. “I try to find ways to integrate physical activity every day of a trip.”

No that doesn’t mean you need to spend hours of vacation time in a hotel gym (unless that sparks joy for you; do you!). Perlus prefers to wake up 10 minutes earlier to do a quick bodyweight workout in her hotel room or finding a local trail to hike.

2. Slip on a Pair of Compression Socks

During those hours on the road, Palanisamy swears by knee-high compression socks.

Research suggests these tall, fairly tight socks (which are available online from many retailers for around $20 per pair) can reduce leg swelling and also decrease the risk of blood clots, which can happen if you do not move for a long period of time, he says.

3. Skip Salty and Fizzy Snacks and Drinks to Help With Bloating

Carbonated beverages and salty, shelf-stable snacks are convenient and tend to be more readily available when you’re traveling than, say, fresh fruit or carrot sticks. But Perlus recommends paying attention to your noshing. “Salty snacks and carbonated beverages can cause uncomfortable bloating, which is no way to begin a vacation,” Perlus says.

Instead, pack a reusable bottle to refill throughout vacation to make it easier to drink water. And when it comes to snack, look for ones with protein. “Protein helps keep me full, stabilizes blood sugar, and reduces food cravings,” Perlus says. She prefers options like Greek yogurt, grass-fed beef jerky, nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

4. Pack a Few (High Fiber) Snacks

And just in case you can’t find those go-to grab-and-go options, pack some snacks to have on hand, says Lauren Manaker RD, LD, owner of Nutrition Now Counseling in Charleston, South Carolina. Airport and gas station snack options can be limited, particularly if you’re traveling late at night or early in the morning.

Manaker says she totes along plenty of prunes. Research suggests that high-fiber dried plums (each ¼ cup serving delivers 3 grams, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture) may even be more effective than fiber powders at relieving constipation. “They’re shelf-stable, they don’t take up a ton of space in luggage, and they help support healthy bowel movements,” she says.

5. Bring a Travel Pillow and Eye Mask

You never know if there will be high-quality blinds or curtains in your hotel room or rental property, which is why Palanisamy deems an eye mask crucial. “By limiting light exposure when I’m sleeping, I’m better able to fight jet lag,” he says. Light exposure is part of what cues the body’s natural circadian rhythms to stay on track, so being able to block out light when you want to (such as when you want to sleep) can help your body adjust to different time zones.

While in transit, he calls a travel pillow like Infinity Travel Pillow a game-changer. Prior to using it, “I was never able to rest much on planes,” he says. “This pillow allows me to relax easily.”

It wraps around his entire neck, so Palanisamy can sleep in any position. Regular neck travel pillows are beneficial as well, he says — ”whatever can help you get some rest during the trip.”

6. Seek Out Morning Sun

Palanisamy says getting out into the sun in the morning during and after travel can help you better manage jet lag. Exposure to sunlight (opposite of blocking it out) signals to the brain and body that it’s morning and time to be awake.

Within an hour of waking up, Palanisamy tries to get outside to chase some sunlight exposure, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This has a very positive effect on resetting the body’s circadian rhythm,” he explains. That exposure helps trigger bodily processes that help you feel energized during the daytime hours and boost production of melatonin (the hormone that signals to our bodies it’s time to sleep) about 12 hours later.

7. Adjust Your Sleep Schedule Upon Arrival

It can be very tempting to climb under the covers once you finally see a cozy bed at your destination. But Perlus says try to start sleeping according to your typical schedule (per the time on the clock at your destination) right away.

Maintaining daily routines, such as reading or mediating first thing upon waking or right before sleeping, can help. Eating meals and snacks the same times as you typically do can help your body adjust to a new time zone, too.

8. Sip Water Early and Often

Even mild cases of dehydration can cause all sorts of unpleasantries, as well as potentially dangerous complications. It can affect body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, energy levels, headaches, cramps, and more, according to Cedars-Sinai. “Dehydration is a risk because air travel specifically is often very drying for our skin,” Palanisamy says.

No matter where or how you travel, start and end each day with a glass of water, and bookend each alcoholic drink with a glass, he says.

Solo travel can be the most rewarding experience if you do it right.

If you’re like me (a chronic worrier and overthinker), the idea of solo travel can be a daunting thing. From going out at night alone to not speaking the language, there are lots of potential questions that may be preventing you from booking a trip. But while the scariest part of solo travel is that you’re in charge of everything, the most rewarding part of solo travel is, well, that you’re in charge of everything. Whether you like to have a loose itinerary or one packed as tight and seamless as your suitcase, you have no one to tell you differently. And as someone who has now experienced it personally, I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing more exhilarating and introspective than a solo adventure. To help you step out of your comfort zone and prepare mentally and physically for your next trip, here are some tips for dealing with travel anxiety.

1. Do your homework.

For your first solo trip, it’s probably a good idea to choose a destination with a developed tourist infrastructure. Locals will be used to dealing with visitors and many people will also speak English, which will be helpful if you don’t speak the local language. Wherever you choose, make sure to research the locale beforehand to get a lay of the land and a sense of where you should (and should not) go. Are some places dangerous to go alone past 9PM? Is it going to be pouring rain the whole time you’re there? What time do things close? How does public transit work? These are all things that you’ll want to go into knowing.

2. Look for all-inclusive resorts.

If this is your very first international solo trip, I recommend choosing an all-inclusive resort to stay at. This will be great if planning an entire itinerary is daunting to you or you’re intimidated by navigating directions in a foreign country. You can get everything you need without going far, and there’s comfort in knowing that you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. Don’t worry—you’ll still be able to meet a lot of people on the property and you’ll feel entirely immersed in another world. For example, Delta Hotels by Marriott Riviera Nayarit, An All-Inclusive Resort is surrounded by a variety of zen pools in the remote mountains that makes you not want to leave, but you also have the option to take their shuttle to relax by their nearby Beach Club if you want different scenery and a bit more bustle. It also has a variety of cuisines for dining options and a couple bars that will allow you to meet tons of locals there for staycations and fellow travelers passing by.

3. Be open to talking to people.

Speaking of other people, while traveling alone might sound lonely, the best part of traveling alone is you actually end up being way more social and meeting new people you wouldn’t have talked to otherwise. Don’t shy away from the locals who know the place much better than you and can help you explore some cool places that are unheard of. Engaging with other travelers on a solo trip can also make your trip more enjoyable—and who knows? It may lead to lifelong friendships and future travel partners for future trips.

4. Ask the hotel for itinerary recommendations.

First time traveling solo at all? In that case, it might be a good idea to start with something domestic where you can get a foreign cultural experience without actually leaving the country. Look for hotels with options onsite that you can partake in. For example, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach offers cultural experiences like Japanese whiskey tasting, Japanese tea ceremonies, origami lessons, and Japanese calligraphy that makes you feel immersed in a completely different culture without traveling abroad.

5. Split up cash and cards.

I always recommend keeping your passport in a hotel safe since that’s the worst thing you can lose, but you’ll also want to keep some of your cards separated too. It’s surprisingly easy to misplace your things when traveling, and since you’re in an unknown environment it makes it even harder to track something down once you realize it’s gone. If you happen to lose your purse or fall victim to a pickpocket, having backup cash and cards in your suitcase or hotel safe can really save the rest of your trip (can you tell I’m speaking from personal experience?).

6. Be prepared.

It’s true that it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared, especially when you’re by yourself in a foreign city. Make a small list of things you’ll want to carry around with you when exploring, and don’t forget to check it off before leaving the hotel. My must-haves: a small battery charger (there’s nothing worse than a dead phone when you’re by yourself), medication, Airtag (this has saved me so many times), and some extra cash if you’re in a pinch. Another hack? Download the place you’re going to on Google maps-—you never know if you might run out of data or signal, so it’s super useful to have your maps offline.

7. Learn the language.

Before you go anywhere, learn a little of the local language. Even if it’s just ‘good morning’, ‘thank you,’ and ‘a coffee please,’ it will go a long way and make it more likely to get help or recommendations should you need it.

According to researchers in Australia, positive tourist experiences can help you live longer.

On your next trip, you can leave behind the anti-aging serums and books of brain teasers. According to a new published study by researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia, travel itself can keep you young.

The positive experiences associated with trips — the social interactions, mental stimulation, physical activity and healthy cuisines — can delay the aging process, the scientists say.

In the Edith Cowan study, which Science Daily published earlier this month, the experts wanted to find out how positive travel experiences help maintain the human body’s “low entropy,” or gradual decline.

“Tourism isn’t just about leisure and recreation,” Fangli Hu, the study’s principal researcher, told The Washington Post on a Zoom call from Australia. “It also plays an important role in individual health and public health.”

In the theoretical study, part of a multiyear, interdisciplinary project that will include empirical data, researchers noted that many of the lifestyle practices espoused by medical and mental health experts are intrinsic to travel, such as social engagement, appreciating nature, walking or other types of exercise, and nutritious meals. Immersing yourself in a novel destination, the study reports, can slow the aging process.

“Environments, especially beautiful landscapes like forests or beaches, can help us reduce stress and boost our mental well-being and promote physical activity,” Hu said. “Exposure to other tourists, locals or even animals can improve our mood and enhance cognitive function. And travel can lead to healthy eating.”

Though the study did not single out a specific diet, research over the years has touted the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. A recent report published in JAMA Network Open, for instance, concluded that more than 25,000 women who adhered to this diet lowered their risk of dying by up to 23 percent during the 25-year study period. Scientists have studied the connection between local diets and exceptional longevity in five “Blue Zones” across Costa Rica, California, Japan, Italy and Greece.

The study said travel can benefit a wide range of populations, not just the fit. Many people can reap the rewards of travel, potentially averting or alleviating illnesses and extending their life span. The researchers envision this nascent category of travel as an extension of other established trends, such as wellness tourism, health tourism and yoga tourism.

“It could improve healthy people’s well-being and prevent related issues, promote recovery and halt deterioration for individuals in suboptimal health, and serve as a non-pharmacological approach to relieve symptoms and enhance quality of life for those with medical conditions,” the study said.

The researchers warn, however, that travel can also have an adverse effect.

“Conversely, tourism can involve negative experiences that potentially lead to health problems,” the researchers wrote, “paralleling the process of promoting entropy increase.”

Hu noted that travel is filled with inherent risks, such as infectious diseases, accidents and violence. These hazards could activate the agents of aging, or entropy. The study also includes wildlife encounters on its list of potential threats. Travelers, therefore, should do their best to avoid the triggers that could lead to detrimental outcomes.

“Some places can make people with anxiety or depression feel even more uneasy. All this negativity may not be beneficial,” she said. “So the type of travel depends on each person’s situation, their needs and their health status.”

Jie Chen, director of the University of Maryland’s Center on Aging, concurs with the findings and recognizes the link between travel and aging gracefully.

“Overall, the study is promoting the spirit of healthy aging,” she said. “Where you are, the environment, the mental and the physical — it’s the whole package.”

Hu said future studies will focus on how travel can help people with dementia or other chronic illnesses. The researchers hope to expand this burgeoning field that, one can only hope, will lead to more vacation days and fewer sick days.

“The intersection of tourism and health is a very new and promising research area,” she said. “We want to comprehensively explain why tourism can have both a positive and negative impact on health.”