How to Wind Down, Relax, and Actually Enjoy Your Vacation
If you’ve ever come home from a trip feeling like you need another vacation, you’re not alone. So many women pour endless energy into planning every detail, packing for every scenario, and making sure nothing goes wrong that once they actually arrive, it’s hard to switch gears. Your body may be on vacation, but your mind is still running through to-do lists.
Here’s the secret: enjoying your time away isn’t about cramming in as many activities as possible. It’s about creating the space to rest, recharge, and truly soak in where you are. Whether you’re traveling solo for the first time, heading out on a girls’ trip, or sneaking away for a weekend reset, here are some ways to slow down and savor the experience.
Give Yourself Permission to Disconnect
Your out-of-office reply isn’t just a formality, it’s a boundary. The world will not stop spinning if you miss an email. Try silencing notifications, setting your phone to “do not disturb,” or deleting work apps for the week. Even checking messages once a day instead of every hour creates space for your mind to calm down.
Solo tip: On your first solo trip, resist the urge to constantly update friends and family. A quick morning or evening check-in is enough and the rest of the day should belong to you!
Ease Into Vacation Mod
Travel takes energy. Instead of jumping straight into sightseeing, allow yourself a buffer. Sleep in the first morning, go for a relaxed walk to get a feel for your surroundings, or spend an hour people-watching over coffee. This gentle start helps you shed that “go-go-go” energy and shift into a different rhythm.
Keep the Schedule Light
It’s tempting to overfill your itinerary, but leaving open blocks of time is a gift to yourself. Some of the best travel moments come unplanned, stumbling across a local market, getting lost in a charming neighborhood, or saying yes to a spontaneous invite. A lighter schedule also reduces stress, so you can actually enjoy what you’re doing instead of rushing to the next thing.
Build in Rest Time
Rest is not wasted vacation time. A mid-day nap, an afternoon at the spa, or a lazy morning by the pool are what make a trip feel restorative. Think of it as giving your body and mind the pause they’ve been craving. You’ll return home with more energy instead of feeling drained.
Practice “Vacation Mindfulness”
Slow travel is about noticing the little things: the way fresh bread smells from a bakery, the sound of waves at night, or the colors of a city at sunrise. Before you reach for your phone to take a picture, pause. Look around. Breathe it in. These are the moments that linger long after the trip ends.
Treat Yourself Without Guilt
Vacations are meant to include a little indulgence. Book the spa treatment, order dessert, or upgrade to the balcony view. These small luxuries remind you this is a break from routine, a time to celebrate yourself.
Capture Memories Without Pressure
Journaling, taking photos, or even voice-noting your favorite moments at the end of the day helps lock in memories. But don’t let documenting your trip take over enjoying it. Your trip isn’t a performance, it should be a personal experience. Post if you want to, but remember that the real audience is you.
Come Back Gently
Instead of landing late Sunday night and rushing into Monday morning chaos, try giving yourself a “buffer day.” Use it to unpack slowly, order your favorite takeout, and reflect on the highlights of your trip. This soft reentry helps stretch the vacation glow a little longer.
The Solo Travel Advantage
When you travel solo, winding down becomes even more powerful because the schedule is 100% yours. Want to linger in a café for hours, nap after lunch, or skip a museum because you’d rather sit by the sea? You can. That freedom is one of the most empowering gifts of traveling alone.
Vacations aren’t meant to feel like another project to manage. They’re meant to fill you back up. The more you practice letting go of control, the more joy and rest you’ll find along the way. Give yourself permission to relax, and let your vacation do what it was always meant to, one of which is reminding you how good it feels to just be. Just go solo…and relaxed! 🩵
