The summer vacations are over – and with them the annual vacation of most Germans. Unfortunately, many returnees quickly get overwhelmed by the stress of everyday life again: Work piles up in the office, the kids need help with homework and the lawn doesn’t mow itself either. Now it’s time to take active countermeasures so that the recovery effect doesn’t fade as quickly as the suntan.
Remember and switch off
To make everyday life less stressful, small time-outs should be taken regularly. “The stress level drops considerably if you take fifteen minutes every day just for yourself,” advises psychologist Frank Meiners of the DAK. A souvenir from the vacation, for example a shell or music from the destination country, helps to revel in beautiful memories and also to switch off at home.
“Holidays are important for the body and soul because the tension of everyday life falls away from us during the days off,” explains Meiners. At home, small escapes help prevent feelings of overload and tension. This makes for a more relaxed lifestyle and makes it easier to cope with the many tasks and demands of everyday life.
Healthy vacation cooking
Mediterranean cuisine tastes like sun and sea. Typical Mediterranean dishes are not only delicious, but also healthy: “Lots of fresh vegetables, fish and olive oil have a positive effect on the metabolism,” says Hanna-Kathrin Kraaibeek, a graduate ecotrophologist and nutritionist at DAK. “A vitamin-rich, low-fat and balanced diet reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure or diabetes. Those who prepare Mediterranean recipes with low fat live healthier.”
Aromatic herbs, fresh lemons and garlic smell like vacation and stimulate appetite and digestion. “Healthy Mediterranean cuisine enables enjoyment without regret,” Kraaibeek explains. “It strengthens the body’s defenses and thus helps to survive the onset of the cold season unscathed.”
Keep good resolutions
The vacations offer plenty of time for sports activities such as jogging, swimming or yoga. Even if there is less time for these activities in everyday life, one should not let the good intentions come to nothing, but remain active even after the vacation. Excessive demands are counterproductive: it’s best to only take on as much as you can realistically manage. After all, if you implement your plans consistently, you’ll live more happily.
“Half an hour of sport twice a week is enough to sustainably increase your well-being,” explains DAK sports expert Uwe Dresel. “To relax the body and stay healthy, regular, gentle exercise is suitable. Metabolic processes are stimulated as a result. Sporting balance provides new energy and a greater ability to concentrate.”
Care for body and soul
Sun and seawater take their toll on skin and hair. An extra day of care after the vacation is therefore doubly recommended: Face masks relax stressed skin and provide it with moisture. Hair becomes supple again with an intensive treatment. At the same time, a wellness day provides relaxation.
Those who don’t have time to spend a day at the spa can carry out their wellness program at home. Expensive products for body care are not absolutely necessary: A face mask or hair treatment can be easily made yourself from milk, honey and olive oil.
Stay loose
With the vacation usually also ends the serenity. Quickly you are back in the daily grind and get upset about little things. A jostler at the sausage counter, the eternal search for a parking space after work or sour milk in the morning coffee can completely upset us. Here, too, the memory of vacation helps: What would the people in the vacation country say to these apparent problems? Parking space disputes in Senegal? Unthinkable!
