Why You Need to Adopt a Holiday Mindset Before You Leave
Have you ever stepped off the plane at your dream destination only to realise it takes days before your shoulders finally drop and you stop checking your emails? You’re not alone. Most of us treat holidays as the ultimate escape from work, but research shows we might be doing it backwards. Rather than waiting until the wheels are up, the best way to truly unwind is to start the holiday in your mind before it officially begins.
The Psychology of Relaxation – Why Unwinding Takes Time
It turns out switching off isn’t as immediate as the out-of-office reply suggests. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that people’s feelings of wellbeing increased steadily over the first few days of their holiday and peaked around day eight. That’s right; it takes a full eight days before most people feel deeply relaxed.
Additional insights from National Geographic highlight that while many travellers begin to feel the effects of relaxation after about three days in nature, it takes a full week or more to feel the kind of mental and emotional reset that holidays promise. Interestingly, a separate study on stress recovery found that even a four-night holiday could lead to lasting improvements in stress levels, with benefits still measurable 45 days after returning.
These findings reinforce an important idea; it’s not just the length of your trip that matters, but also how you enter and exit the holiday experience mentally.
What Is a ‘Holiday Mindset’ – And Why Does It Matter?
Think of your brain like your carry-on bag. If it’s already filled with work stress, last-minute tasks, and Slack pings, there’s no room for joy, presence or that first beachside drink. A holiday mindset is the practice of mentally disconnecting from work before your body physically leaves your everyday environment. It’s about setting up the conditions for rest; not just reacting to it.
This concept of “psychological detachment” has been explored in detail by workplace psychologists. When we continue to think about work during our downtime, our brains remain in a low-level state of tension. According to Psychology Today, detachment from professional responsibilities is critical for emotional recovery and long-term productivity.
Adopting a holiday mindset before departure creates a buffer; it signals to your nervous system that you’re shifting gears. You’re more likely to relax sooner, and you’re less likely to carry the residue of your workday into your vacation.
How to Ease Into That Holiday Feeling Before You Even Pack
Creating space for relaxation doesn’t require a total life overhaul. It begins with something simple: intention. Instead of cramming every last deadline into your final workday, allow for breathing room in the lead-up. Wrapping up key tasks a day or two early, even if not perfectly, gives your brain a chance to slow down before your body does.
Setting clear digital boundaries is just as important. Consider turning on your auto-reply the night before your trip begins. Mute notifications from your email and work messaging apps. If you use an iPhone, creating a custom Focus mode specifically for holidays can help—this lets you silence or delay updates from selected apps or have them delivered only during certain times of the day. That way, you won’t see work messages unless they’re urgent or intentional.
There’s also power in visualisation. Research from Harvard shows that imagining an experience activates similar parts of the brain as actually doing it. Whether you’re picturing a mountain hike, a quiet ocean view or the scent of local street food, mentally rehearsing your holiday helps your body start to relax even before you leave.
Another way to create this mindset shift is by planning a soft entry into your break. Book a walk, go for a massage, or enjoy a quiet dinner the evening before you fly out. These small acts act as emotional transition points; your body will start to associate the change in rhythm with relaxation before your trip officially begins.
Don’t Just Rush Back Either
It’s easy to undo all the good a holiday can do by jumping straight into your inbox or Monday meetings. If your flight lands at midnight and your next meeting is at 9 am, the holiday glow may fade before your suitcase hits the floor. Instead, aim to schedule a slower return to work. Even carving out a few hours for re-entry, clearing messages, reviewing your calendar, or taking stock of your week, can make a big difference.
Studies suggest the benefits of holidays can last weeks beyond the return home if we allow the recovery to settle. Think of it like cooling down after a workout; the pause matters just as much as the action.
Final Thoughts – Start the Holiday in Your Mind First
Travel is one of the few times we allow ourselves permission to pause. But if we don’t prepare for that pause (mentally, emotionally, and digitally) we end up wasting valuable time trying to catch up to the rest we came for.
By shifting into a holiday mindset early, you stretch the benefits of your break; you start unwinding sooner, experience more meaningful rest, and return with a clearer, calmer headspace. It’s not about pretending work doesn’t exist. It’s about choosing not to take it with you.