Coping with Stress

Coping with Stress – Diversion Techniques

Vacation

Taking a ‘stress vacation’ is not an indulgence but rather the route to sustained
productivity while maintaining your energy and health. However, taking a vacation
trip could be itself a source of stress if not properly conceived and organized.

Folkman
(Strategies To Make Your Vacation a Stress-Buster, Not Stress-Enhancer) suggests the
following tips for reducing vacation stress:

• Stay in fewer places longer.
• Don’t pack the schedule. Leave time open for relaxing.
• Make the vacation affordable and stay within your budget. Nothing is more stressful
than spending more than you can afford.
• When vacationing with family, find ways to satisfy a little bit of everyone’s needs.
Help children realize that they have to make some tradeoffs too.
• Take time to genuinely appreciate where you are, what you do and those who are
with you and also tell them what you appreciate.
• Have fun along the way. Make your time in a car or on a plane special. Listen to a
book on tape. When everyone is interested in the story, they can’t wait to get back
in the car.
• Plan group as well as “alone” activities, like, an early morning walk on the beach
can be the best part of a vacation.
• Balance flexibility (“We’re having fun; let’s do this longer.”) with timeliness (“We
have to be up and packed by 6 a.m. to catch the plane).
• Decide to have fun. After all, you’re on a vacation!