A beach vacation can be just the sort of stress-relieving trip you need, whether you’re by yourself or on holiday with family or friends. While it can be the perfect relaxation destination for your mental health, there are a few steps to ensure your physical health at the same time.
In order to ensure the safety of everyone on the trip, there are a few quick and easy steps you can take. If you’re interested in how a beach vacation can improve your mental health, click here for well-researched support. While specifics for certain sun protection practices will depend on things like location or weather conditions, these are general safety rules to follow for your wellbeing.
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Sunscreen and Skincare Routines
One of the biggest mistakes a person on a beach vacation can make is leaving the sunscreen in the hotel room. Regardless of if you’re just taking a morning stroll or you’re only planning to be out for an hour, applying the sunscreen before you leave won’t cut it.
Sweat and water can quickly erode the sunscreen from your skin and pores, which means you’ll need to reapply while you’re out, especially if you decide to go for a swim. After you apply the product, wait for your skin to absorb the sunscreen – this can vary from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the person – and then you can enjoy the water without worrying that most of it will be washed off. However, when you come back to your towel, you’ll need to reapply eventually.
Even if you’re on top of reapplying your sunscreen, you’ll need to have a regular skincare routine to help heal damaged skin. Apply aloe or other soothing ointments to sunburn to help reduce inflammation and pain. Use hydrating and moisturizing skin products on your face after a shower to reduce sun damage and keep the area soft and clean. Finally, make sure you’re taking care of any burns, rashes, and other skin conditions you may have so that prolonged sun exposure doesn’t increase their damage.
Hydration and Healthy Eating
It’s likely that you’re aware you should be drinking water while on the beach. However, some people may only bring one bottle per person without taking into account how much activity they’ll be doing. While one water bottle may be enough for a morning stroll, if you’re planning to be laying in the sun for a few hours, especially if you’re going to be swimming or playing games, you need to have some extra water around to stay properly hydrated. Keep in mind this saying: it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
The food you eat can also be a contributing factor to a healthy vacation. While you may have room to eat a little extra during a weekend beach trip, it’s still a good idea to watch your eating habits. However, don’t skip breakfast on your way out – getting your regular dose of necessary vitamins and minerals is essential to your physical well being regardless of how long you plan to be out in the sun. Eating healthy, well-balanced meals contributes to your immune system, skincare, and energy.
Staying Relaxed
If you’re on vacation, stay there! This means you need to focus on relaxing, enjoying your time away from home and work, and not picking up your devices to check in on projects or colleagues. Your vacation should revolve around rejuvenation and stress-relieving activities. If you’re bringing your work laptop and regularly answering company emails, you’re taking time from the rest you need. While workcations may be a different story if you came out to the beach to enjoy the waves and sunshine, leave the phone in the beach bag.
It may be good to develop a Before Vacation and After Vacation plan as well: leaving your desk and projects in an organized state before vacation so that you’re ready with a to-do list and priority file when you return. This way, the mental work checklist can be physically left behind so you know there’s a plan set in place when you get back.
Having a boundary between downtime and company time is crucial for preventing burnout and overexertion. While it may be difficult to entirely turn off the project-oriented side of your brain, that doesn’t mean you need to act on those urges. Practice mindfulness exercises to ensure you’re present in the moment, having fun with those around you, and focusing on your mental health.
Benefit from Your Beach Vacation
Although it’s important to have the proper health practices and precautions in line throughout your trip, you don’t need to worry the entire time about missing something. Many of these suggestions are routines you’ve probably experienced already if you’ve visited the beach with family during your childhood. The primary goal is to get the most out of your relaxation – maintaining a healthy routine is crucial for maximum relaxation. Once you have a simple checklist in place, you can run off to your heart’s content.
