At last it’s that time of year when we start thinking about summer holidays. After all, there’s nothing quite like a break to boost your health. Just six days away is enough to trigger changes that reduce stress, support your immune system, and lower levels of proteins linked to depression and dementia for weeks, according to new research by California’s Icahn School of Medicine and Harvard University.
Studies have also found regular breaks can even help you live longer and improve heart health. So, when planning your hols, what can you do to maximise the health and wellbeing benefits? We look at the scientific ways to have the most health-boosting holiday ever.
Start researching your holiday now
The benefits begin well before you even arrive at your destination. Why? Looking forward to something builds levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine in your brain’s reward system, where good feelings are made. “We spend a lot of our mental lives living in the future,” says happiness researcher Dr Matt Killingsworth of the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Travel is an especially good thing to have to look forward to. In a sense, we start to ‘consume’ a trip as soon as we start thinking about it. When we imagine eating gelato in a piazza in Rome or going water-skiing with friends we don’t see often, we get to experience a version of those events in our minds.”
This helps explain why 75% of people say they get a thrill just from booking their holiday, according to research commissioned by Walt Disney Travel Company. Have shorter holidays more often: You might think a fortnight away should feel twice as good as a week. But The Journal of Happiness Studies (2017) found the holiday ‘bliss point’ occurs around the eighth day of a three-week break. After that, relaxation sinks to pre-holiday levels. So, to get the most benefits, plan more short breaks – and start planning the next one as soon as you return to build anticipation.
Plan a stand-out day
Whether it’s swimming with dolphins or a dream boat ride, do something you’ve always wanted to try. Researchers from New Zealand’s University of Canterbury (2008) found the experience of having a “most memorable or unusual” day sets the tone for your overall memory of the trip, helping you forget minor irritations. This ties in with research on ‘awe experiences’ when we see something that takes our breath away. A 2020 study at the University of California found these have a powerful effect as we realise there is something bigger than our problems, putting them into perspective.
Go somewhere new
While it’s tempting to return to tried-and-tested holiday spots, choose somewhere new. The brain releases more dopamine when seeking or experiencing something novel, according to 2018 research published in journal Behavioural Neuroscience.
Go to the coast where you can breathe in sea air: The Victorians were right to send patients to the seaside to get better. A range of research has found sea air contains compounds and ions that reduce inflammation, make it easier for our lungs to absorb oxygen, calm our nervous systems, and boost levels of feel-good brain chemicals like serotonin.
Neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Taylor explains: “When people breathe in sea air, the ions help boost the electrical functionality of the brain by 47% and create new neural pathways, allowing you to think with more clarity.”
Take a walk by the sea too
Want to sleep better and see your life in perspective? A walk by the sea is the best holiday activity, according to 2015 research by the University of Surrey. They tested the sleep and wellbeing of 100 men and women, aged 21 to 82, who walked by the coast on holiday, compared to those walking in hills or parks. They found those who walked by the sea slept 47 minutes longer and were more likely to reflect deeply on their life. This helped them feel happier and calmer than the other group, who focused more on conversations with others.
Learn a new skill
Whether it’s learning to water ski or climbing a mountain, setting a goal or learning a new skill will also help you switch off on your break. A 2006 study of 221 workers before and after their break by researchers at Germany’s University of Konstanz found people returned happier and more energetic if they learned a new skill on holiday. They believe this is likely because it helped them distract from issues at home, like work politics or family problems.
Use as many senses as possible
The more senses you engage, the more you can be ‘in the moment’ and fully enjoy the experience. Researchers at Denmark’s Aalborg University (2005) found one of the most common favourite holiday memories is eating ice cream on a beach. It stimulates the sense of taste, while also engaging the smell, sight, and sound of the sea.
Go where you can hear sounds of nature, especially birdsong
Hearing regular birdsong improves mental wellbeing scores in under two weeks, says a 2022 study at King’s College, London. One possible reason we find it so relaxing is because our ancestors associated birdsong as a sign there were no predators around. Wellbeing researcher Ty Ferguson of the University of South Australia says: “Nature watching is a ‘soft fascination’ activity that gently holds your attention while leaving headspace for reflection.”
Cut down phone snaps
While it’s good for your wellbeing to take a few photos to remember your holiday, too many means you won’t fully experience the moment. In a 2018 study of 2,000 holidaymakers, sensory expert Professor Charles Spence of Oxford University found more than over half suffered “digital amnesia” by relying on phones to store memories. “Technology keeps our eyes occupied. It plays to our dominant visual sense but fails to connect with our emotional senses.”
Try sketching or painting your favourite holiday scenes
This helps you ‘savour’ the experience, slowing down and noticing the details more, which releases more opioids in the brain’s reward system. Prof Spence adds: “Drawing something to remember activates up to three senses, including sight, touch, and sound enabling the brain to solidify the memory and embed it for longer.”
Keep a holiday diary
Joyful experiences come in three parts – anticipation, appreciation, and remembering, according to neuroscientist Professor Kent Berridge of the University of Michigan. So you’ll enjoy your holiday more if every evening you note down three things you loved that day. It will help you focus on what’s gone right during your holiday, rather than what’s gone wrong, reducing levels of your stress hormone cortisol.
Turn on your out-of-office reply
Jayne Morris, the UK’s leading burn-out coach, and author of Burnout to Brilliance, recommends switching on your ‘out-of-office’ as soon as you start your holiday. This dispels others’ expectations that you’re available and also helps you feel like you don’t have to respond. Jayne says: “Set your out-of-office to let people know you won’t be checking emails and who they can speak to when you are away. Tell them any emails sent during this time will be automatically deleted and kindly ask them to re-send their message after your return date if they need a reply.”
Turn off social media
Research from the University of Konstanz suggests switching off from social media on holiday to reset your stress levels. A study by the University of Bath (2022) found when regular users took a week long holiday from social media, their wellbeing scores increased by 19%. Their anxiety levels also dropped by a third, according to the study published in Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking.
Tanith Carey is the author of Feeling Blah? Why Life Feels Joyless and How to Recapture its Highs, published by Headline
“Once you’ve had a relaxing holiday, you want the benefits to last – and there are ways to prolong the after-effects, says burnout coach Jayne. “One of the most powerful things you can do to keep benefiting from your holiday after you return is to take two minutes out of your day to reconnect with the relaxation you experienced while away,” she explains.
“Studies show that thinking back to those sensations soothes your mind and has the same positive neurological effect on your autonomic nervous system as actually being there. The key is to use all your senses. Using a photographic trigger helps. For example, look at an image of the beach you visited, close your eyes, and imagine being transported back there. Then focus on the sounds of the ocean, the smell of fresh fruit, the taste of sea air, and the calm that then spreads across your body. If you do this every day, it can help stretch the benefits of your holiday for several months.”
