7 strategies to emotionally manage not being able to go on vacation

Vacation periods are one of the most anticipated events of the year for many people, but unfortunately, this reality does not always fit with the responsibilities linked to certain work models and professional performance. For this reason, there are not a few who cannot afford to go on vacation when they would like to, something that can produce not only frustration and subjective discomfort, but also job burnout and demotivation.

That is why a series of psychological strategies must be put in place to help us cope in the best possible way with the weeks in which we would like to be disconnecting from everything on a beach , in distant cities or in the middle of nature.

Tips to face and assimilate not being able to go on vacation when you want

Below we present a series of emotional management tips focused on managing the frustration and possible demotivation arising from the impossibility of having a vacation like the ones you would like to enjoy.

1. Specify a future vacation

Although we cannot go on vacation at the present time, it is very helpful to schedule a vacation that allows us to relax and enjoy, for a few weeks or months .

Specifying the moment in which we can go on vacation at a future date will allow us to have a temporary reference of the goal that we will reach sooner or later, and that will serve as a motivating element.

2. Workation

Exploring the possibility of workation (working during vacations) is a highly recommended practice for self-employed workers and digital nomads who wish to travel to a vacation destination but must continue working.

Workation basically consists of going to another city or country and working from there for a few days, to disconnect at least partially during the periods of free time that you can enjoy.

This practice is highly effective, since it allows us to make the most of our free time after daily work, and gives us the opportunity to get to know other cities or countries during the time we stay in said tourist destination.

3. Take advantage of activities during the vacation period

During the stages in which most people ask for vacation days, many cultural activities related to music or cinema are held in the open air , experiences that we can live intensely once our daily workday is over, even if we do not have those days off. In this way, we will get rid of the idea that we cannot enjoy any aspect of the holiday season, without letting a very pessimistic and dramatic vision of what happens to us affect us.

In order to combine these activities with our work obligations, we must maintain a correct organization of time at all times, which allows us to program subsequent leisure activities.

4. Promote time optimization

If we want to take advantage of all the opportunities that summer time offers us and the long hours that we have before nightfall; By optimizing our work time, we will be using the idea that we are in “holiday season” to motivate us to perform better and finish pending tasks .

By finishing our working day earlier, we will have room for maneuver to take advantage of the rest of the day and be able to carry out all kinds of recreational activities or social gatherings with our best friends.

5. Question socially shared vacation expectations

The consumer society in which we live manufactures a series of artificial expectations and needs to sell its products to the general public, and this phenomenon is also used to sell certain vacation destinations.

The media, advertising and, more recently, social networks contribute to extolling holiday leisure models based on overcrowded tourist destinations on the coast , in which it is necessary to spend a large amount of money on constant purchases.

Questioning these expectations of vacation leisure and fleeing from stereotypical vacation models will allow us to value other ways of spending our vacations, for example, discovering new places in our cities or visiting nearby charming towns, something that can be done at any time of the year. .

6. Avoid comparisons

In the same way that it can be of great help to us to question the vacation leisure expectations of modern consumer societies, it is also highly recommended not to compare our comparisons with those of anyone else, especially in the age of "posture" in social networks .

The fact of comparing our vacation plans with other people can make us feel bad, since there will always be someone who lives experiences much more valued socially than us.

7. Find time for ourselves

Summer vacations are a very necessary period to rest and it is in these months when we must combine daily work with the fact of finding a few hours a day to be able to rest or carry out pleasant activities.

Looking for a daily space to do all those things that fill us the most and that make us happy, we will be able to increase our well-being, our good humor and we will be able to recharge energy for our work.

Any activity that makes us happy can be good for overcoming frustration and achieving happiness during the vacation period.