Article by www.cheapfares.com
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
The warm feeling derived from purchasing cheap fares, whether they are cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, feels even better when you return from a fabulous vacation. However, for most people after they return to work and its stresses it quickly feels like they were never on vacation. Many travelers would like to know how to retain the good feelings generated by a great trip.
A study tracking the happiness levels of 974 vacationers and 556 nonvacationers over several weeks was recently published in the journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life. The vacationers’ level of happiness was tracked before, during, and after vacation.
Not surprising, the vacationers’ happiness levels were higher than the nonvacationers pre-vacation (when they were anticipating their trips) and during their vacations, while after their vacation they felt similar to nonvacationers.
The study found that the length of the vacation had no impact on the vacationers’ later happiness levels.
The study came up with two strategies for maximizing the number of post vacation days of happiness:
* Take very relaxing vacations.
* Since the length of a vacation has no impact on later happiness the more multiple shorter vacations taken should result in more total happiness days after vacation.
The following strategies for extending the afterglow following vacation were recommended:
* Relish your most enjoyable experiences. Take pictures while on vacation and later share those pictures and special experiences with others.
* If there was someone at a hotel or one who participated in an activity that was particularly helpful to you, thank those persons (either via a call or email). Making new friends and staying in touch creates more opportunities for reminiscing.
* Vacations where the traveler learns new skills, be they yoga, art classes, or bird watching, contribute to greater happiness in the long run if the vacationer makes the effort to integrate them into his or her everyday life.www.cheapfares.com
To Take or Not to Take a Vacation?
Even with a plentiful supply of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms, workers who feel the need for a vacation more now than it the past are often reluctant to take that vacation.
The three most common reasons for not taking a vacation, according to a recent Expedia survey were:
* The ability to get paid for unused vacation days
* The requirement to schedule vacation days in advance
* One’s significant other being unable to get time off of his/her job
Many workers are uncomfortable taking off time for a vacation because of the economy, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey. Workers indicated that they either could not afford a vacation or felt they should not be absent from work when their businesses were already understaffed.
Stress and wellness experts point out that workers earn vacation days because everyone needs time off once in a while. Vacations provide a needed change of pace, both physically and mentally.
The following are ways to eliminate counterproductive stress that some experience while on vacation:
* Identify a convenient time to take a vacation and communicate in advance with supervisors and team members. * Inform others what can be done in your absence and what needs to wait for your return.
* If cost and/or coordinating your schedule with a significant other is a problem, consider taking a “staycation.” Staycations are when you vacation from home.
* If money is an issue, look into last minute vacation packages via the Internet, which often are deeply discounted.
Once on vacation make certain that you leave work behind. www.cheapfares.com
Cheapfares.com employees enjoy sharing their travel points of view and information with others who might share similar interests.