Enjoy Your Summer Vacation

Sun, sand, surf, sea - summer brings with it the promise of rest and relaxation.

Here is our list of the best ways to unwind on your summer vacation:

Summer Is Here!

Summers are a time to take a break from the mundane routines of everyday life, and the best way to do that is to take a vacation. This is a time for you to relax, unwind, and come back to your daily life with renewed energies. How can you ensure you truly benefit from a vacation, though?

Use Your Vacation Time

We Indians enjoy the benefits of many national holidays in the year, and in some lucky years, these holidays fall around weekends! Make use of these long weekends, and club them with the other privilege leaves you have accumulated. Some global companies have made it mandatory for employees to take vacations; you should too! Apply for a leave; you deserve to take a break.

Define Your Vacation on Your Own Terms

A vacation does not have to mean travelling to an exotic foreign location or spending a lot of money. Your summer vacation is meant for you to take a break. Use this break time to do what you enjoy doing, things you may not have found time for on working days. If you don't like travelling, there are many other options. Pursue your hobbies - find a pottery class in your area, go for swimming lessons, attend poetry open mic nights, watch stand-up comedy shows, listen to music, join a dance class, paint, - do what you love. A vacation is a frame of mind.

Do Your Research

If you do decide to travel, make sure you do your research on every aspect of the trip before you begin your journey. Read up on visa requirements, things you can carry into the country, and cultural rules that may surprise you on arrival (for example, you cannot carry chewing gum into Singapore, and touching the head of an Indonesian is considered offensive). Arrange for your transportation from the airport to the hotel, and have your itinerary planned for each day of the trip. Look for restaurants, which fulfil your dietary requirements, and incorporate them into the plan.

Relax!

The reason you are taking the vacation is to unwind. Ensure that your vacation doesn't become so taxing, that you need another vacation to recover from the first one! Take time to rest, get enough sleep, and plan activities, which make you feel rejuvenated. Go by how you feel in the moment; do not feel the need to stick to the itinerary if you are not in the mood to do something. Meet old friends, spend time with loved ones, - do what calls your heart.

Leave Work Behind

You cannot fully unwind if you are still worrying about work. Do not carry your laptop with you, switch off email notifications on your phone, and resist the urge to check with your teammates about work. Set up an email auto-responder, so you won't worry about new developments at work. Cut off thoughts of work from your mind, and focus on relaxing in the moment.

This summer, take the vacation you really need!