Summer Vacation Tips: The Art of Unwinding

"What are your plans for the summer?" It's a question that tends to come up as soon as vacation season approaches. And sure, it's wonderful to have a trip, a few dinners, or a summer project finally taking shape. But after a spring filled with schedules, meetings, and to-do lists, sometimes the best plan is to not have too many at all. Because when the time off finally begins, it often takes a few days for both body and mind to adjust. Here are some simple tips that can help you find that vacation calm a little quicker.

Delete the Work Apps

Summer vacation is finally here and the out-of-office reply is activated. But just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean that work completely comes to a halt. Emails keep pouring in, notifications keep blinking, and for many, it can be hard to resist checking in.

It’s easy to think: “Oh, I’ll just quickly reply to this email.” But suddenly you find yourself pondering work right in the middle of your time off. So, if possible, log out and delete the work apps during your holiday. At least for a while. If something is truly urgent, your colleague can always call. After all, that’s what we did before both Teams and work emails existed, and it worked pretty well back then too.

Enjoy Your Morning Coffee Outdoors

A cup of coffee on a staircase, balcony, or in a thermos by the dock is one of summer's simplest pleasures. The same coffee as usual, but in the summer air, it always tastes just a bit better.

Stop Comparing Your Vacation to Others'

Three weeks in Tuscany. Sailing along the west coast. A countryside retreat that looks like it was pulled straight from an interior design magazine. Social media feeds quickly fill up with vacation pictures that resemble someone’s Pinterest mood board. In such moments, it’s easy to feel like you should be doing more yourself. But not every vacation day needs to be filled with postcard-worthy moments. Sometimes, a free Tuesday without plans is more than enough.

Not Every Day Needs to Be Filled

Vacation begins when you stop planning it. Often, even time off turns into a project – excursions need to be booked, restaurants tried, and days filled with activities. But unwinding is an art in itself. For many, it takes several days before the pace slows down and the time off actually feels like a break. Therefore, not every day needs to have a plan. Sometimes, you actually get more out of your vacation by doing less. The Italians even have a saying for it: Il dolce far niente – the art of enjoying doing nothing.

Evening Swim

An evening swim is a part of summer. There is something liberating about jumping into the water, feeling the warm evening air, and coming home with a towel draped over your shoulder. Additionally, both dinner and a good night's sleep feel a bit better afterward.

Eat Ice Cream

Vanilla, pistachio, sorbet, popsicle, or a scoop with sprinkles from that little place with a winding line or straight from the freezer. Some things don’t need more justification than that.

Give the Book a Chance

Classic, yet oh so delightful. Few things disconnect you from everyday life as effectively as a truly great book. If you find it hard to concentrate or notice your thoughts wandering after just a few pages, it may not be the book that's at fault. It could just as well be a sign that your mind is still racing. Put your phone aside for a moment and give the story a chance. After all, vacation is one of the few times you actually have the opportunity to disappear into someone else's world.

Let Sleep Be Sacred

Rest, rest, rest. But for heaven's sake – get outside too. Lay in a hammock or spend a few hours at the beach without your phone within reach. And let sleep be sacred. You don’t need to set an alarm every morning, but you also shouldn’t sleep away the entire day. For many, vacation is the only time of the year when both body and mind can awaken at their own pace.

Hjärngympa

Ett korsord, sudoku eller ett parti kortspel kan vara precis lagom stimulans när tempot sänks. Helst från en hammock, solstol eller brygga.

Movement without Performance

For the rest of the year, everything needs to be optimized. The training should yield results, the round should improve, and the run should be faster than last time. On vacation, it can be just the opposite.

Take a swim in the sea, cycle to the harbor, or go for a long walk without any specific destination. For many, vacation is also the best opportunity of the year to engage in the sport they love. A round of golf, a few hours on a sailboat, or a tennis match with friends can embody the essence of vacation like nothing else.

It’s not about performance. It’s about being outdoors, moving your body, and letting time pass a little slower than usual. Strava will probably manage just fine without you for a few weeks.

The bottom line might be to let the summer be a bit more carefree. There doesn't need to be more obligations just because the season happens to be different. Sleep in a little longer than usual, read that book that's been sitting on your nightstand all spring, linger a bit longer at the dinner table, and allow the days to be shaped by something other than performance. Sometimes, it’s actually perfectly sufficient to just be on holiday.