How to make your holiday afterglow last 43 days (according to new research)

What if your holiday didn’t just feel good while you were away, but also boosted your wellbeing for weeks after you returned? 

New research reveals that the benefits of your holiday don’t have to end when you return to work. In this quick episode, I’ll share how to extend that post-break glow far beyond your suitcase unpacking. 

In this mini episode, I’ll dive into: 

• How to make the most of your time away so the benefits last 

• The holiday activities that actually boost your wellbeing the longest 
• Why you should mix home and away time for a stronger return 

Key Quotes: 

“The ultimate productivity hack might just be the holiday you’ve been putting off.” 

 “Disconnecting and staying active is key to making your holiday benefits last.” 

 

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  

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If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  

Get in touch at [e-mail]  

  

Credits:  

Host: Amantha Imber  

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you remember the last time you got back from
a holiday. How long did that holiday after go? Last? For?
Maybe a month or more like a week, or maybe
an hour. New research shows that a well planned getaway

(00:20):
can boost your well being for up to forty three
days after you've unpacked your suitcase. But not all breaks
are created equal. Today, I'm going to share with you
the surprising science behind maximizing your time off, including why
that expensive cooking class might be a waste, how mixing

(00:42):
home and away time creates the perfect formula, and the
number one factor that determines whether your holiday benefits last
for days or well over a month. Welcome to How
I WI, a show about habits, rituals, and strategies for

(01:03):
optimizing your day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha imber So.
I just got back from three nights down the coast,
where I naturally tried to optimize for well being benefits
morning beach walks for natural daylight exposure shortly after aking. Yep,
did that strategic coffee consumption time perfectly between cortisol peaks? Yeah, obviously,

(01:29):
methodically alternating between fiction and nonfiction reading to balance my
cognitive load. Yes, indeed, But then I stumbled across this
new research, and I've discovered that I've been missing a trick.
It turns out that those coastal benefits have the potential
to continue working their magic for up to six weeks

(01:49):
after returning to work, which means there's a whole new
dimension of post holiday wellbeing that I need to be
paying attention to. So let me share with you what
I wish i'd known for planning my getaway and how
you can optimize your next break for the longest lasting
benefits possible. So new research published in the Journal of

(02:11):
Applied Psychology analyzed thirty two different studies and found that
while yes, our wellbeing does decline after returning to work
from a holiday, it actually stays higher than pre holiday
levels for quite some time. So how long you might
be asking? Well? The researchers estimate the positive effects could

(02:33):
last for up to forty three days, that is nearly
six weeks of residual holiday goodness. But here's the thing.
Not all holidays are created equal, So what makes for
the most beneficial break well? The data revealed some interesting findings.

(02:55):
So first up, mixing home time plus a way time
was far better at providing a greater well being boost
than trips that are spent entirely away. Next, the researchers
found that longer holidays gave people a bigger initial boost

(03:15):
in well being once they're back, but there's a trade
off because longer breaks showed a steeper well being decline afterwards,
kind of like the holiday equivalent of a sugar crash. Next,
physical activity matters. So of all holiday activities that you
could be doing, moving or doing some exercise delivered the

(03:37):
strongest well being benefits. Now a couple of others. Complete
disconnection is crucial, so mental detachment from work was the
number one factor for maximizing holiday benefits. And finally, passive
activities don't actually help all that much, so simply resting
without engaging in active pursuits minimal impact. So sorry, Netflix addicts,

(04:04):
The science has spoken. But perhaps most surprising, or at
least most surprising to me, learning new skills during holidays
had virtually no effect on well being once you're back,
So maybe skip that intensive cooking class and just enjoy
a beach walk instead. So, in summary, here's how you

(04:24):
can make your next holiday really count based on the research.
Here are three evidence backed ways to maximize your next break. First,
truly disconnect. That means set that out of office and
meet it. Second, get physical, prioritize movement over passive relaxation,
and three mix home and away time, So consider a

(04:48):
staycation for part of your leave and for people managing teams.
The researchers emphasize really creating an environment where there are
no perceived penalty for taking time off because holiday benefits
can only happen when people actually feel comfortable taking leave.
So the next time you're planning even a short break,

(05:11):
remember it's not just about optimizing those precious days away.
It's about engineering a six week wellbeing runway after your return.
So think of your holiday as the gift that keeps
on giving long after you've unpacked your suitcase. The ultimate
productivity investment isn't a new time management app. It might

(05:31):
just be that holiday you've been putting off. If you
like today's show, make sure you hit follow on your
podcast app to be alerted when new episodes drop. How
I Work was recorded on the traditional land of the
Warringery people, part of the Cooler Nation. A big thank
you to Martin Nimber for doing the sound mix.