You’ve waited all year for your holiday. The bags are packed, the out-of-office is on and it’s finally time to get away.
And while holidays might change your usual routine, that’s rather the point. A week or two away isn’t about following rules or worrying about undoing all your good habits. It’s about resting, exploring, eating good food and enjoying yourself.
So wherever you’re heading this summer, here are a 7 simple ways to come home feeling rested, refreshed and well fed.
1. Relax
First things first: give yourself permission to slow down.
Holidays are a chance to step away from the usual rush and make a little more room for yourself. That could mean an afternoon with a book, a morning by the pool, a long lunch, an early night or simply doing absolutely nothing for a while.
There doesn’t need to be a timetable for relaxing. Do more of whatever helps you switch off and come home feeling refreshed.
2. Disconnect
Our phones have a habit of following us everywhere, including on holiday.
Emails, messages, news and endless scrolling can quickly eat into the time you meant to spend doing something else.
You don’t have to disappear completely. But putting your phone away for a few hours, leaving it behind at dinner or resisting the urge to document every moment can give you more time to actually enjoy where you are and who you’re with.
The photos can wait. The ice cream might not.
3. Eat well. And enjoy it.
For us, food is one of the very best parts of going away.
Fresh fish by the sea. Tomatoes that actually taste of tomatoes. Bowls of fruit, colourful salads, local cheeses, grilled vegetables, pulses, nuts, bread fresh from the bakery, and whatever else your destination does particularly well.
Good food and holiday food don't have to be two different things.
Rather than worrying about being “good” or “bad”, look for plenty of real, wholesome food and eat what you enjoy. And if that includes pudding after dinner or an ice cream on the beach? Enjoy that too.
A healthy way of eating should have room for real life. Holidays included.
4. Explore
You don’t need a packed itinerary to make the most of being somewhere new.
Take a walk around the old town. Wander through a food market. Hire a bike. Follow the coastal path. Swim in the sea. Find the little restaurant somebody told you about.
Exploring somewhere new gets you moving without exercise necessarily feeling like exercise, and you'll probably discover much more than you would from a sun lounger.
Although there’s plenty of room for the sun lounger too.
5. Move because it feels good
Missing a week at the gym really isn't something to worry about.
If you want to keep moving, make it part of the holiday rather than another job on the list.
Swim. Walk. Hike. Cycle. Play tennis. Try paddle-boarding. Explore somewhere on foot instead of taking a taxi.
Or don't.
Rest is a perfectly good use of a holiday too. The important thing is doing what leaves you feeling good, rather than trying to recreate your normal routine somewhere hotter.
6. Take your habit with you
Travel days aren't always particularly kind to good eating.
Early starts, motorway services, airport queues and hotel breakfasts can leave you choosing between whatever happens to be available.
That’s where a little preparation can make things simpler.
Packing some Purition gives you a familiar option when you need it. Mix it with milk or yoghurt for an easy, filling breakfast, whether you're heading for an early flight, setting off on a day trip or waking up somewhere with limited breakfast choices.
Real food for real life, even when real life temporarily involves a suitcase.
7. Most importantly, enjoy your holiday
Good health isn't built or lost in a week.
It comes from what you do most of the time: eating good food, moving your body, sleeping well and looking after yourself.
So eat the local food. Have the pudding. Go for the swim. Take the afternoon nap. Stay up late one evening. Walk miles exploring the next day.
Then come home refreshed and ready to get back to everyday life.
