Holidays offer the perfect opportunity to escape the stresses of everyday life, have a break from constantly checking your phone, and discover new and exciting things, and it is because of this that mindful travel is becoming so popular.
Mindful travel is all about enjoying the moment, being aware of your surroundings at any given time, keeping your focus on what is happening around you, and avoiding any distractions or negative thoughts that try to enter your mind.
By doing this, you can return from your holiday feeling relaxed and revitalised, with plenty of memories that will last a lifetime, and much better placed to deal with real-life stresses when you get back to your usual routine.
Here, we share some tips for how to practice mindful travel and make the most out of your holiday.
Slow things down
When you travel to a new place it can be tempting to try to pack as much into your break as possible, but mindful travel means slowing down and taking your time to appreciate every moment. This may mean that you don’t see as much during your holiday, but it also means that you will feel relaxed rather than rushed off your feet.
Taking things slowly gives you the chance to spot things that you wouldn’t if you were running from one place to the next, like stumbling across a hidden park, or discovering an amazing coffee shop that isn’t on the map. Simply wandering without purpose, with no destination in mind, can make for the perfect day.
Switch off your phone
Whether it’s checking emails, responding to texts, or scrolling through Instagram, we spend so much time on our phones that it can be difficult to imagine how to function without them. However, in order to travel mindlessly, it’s important to step away from your devices so that you can focus on what you are doing and what is happening around you.
Turning off your data roaming is a good way to ensure that you don’t get interrupted by notifications while you’re exploring. Then, you can set certain times of the day when you can connect to Wi-Fi and check anything that you need to, or upload those Facebook-worthy holiday snaps.
Engage your senses
It can be difficult to root yourself in a particular moment and avoid distracting thoughts, but a good way to do this is to engage your senses and concentrate on everything that is going on around you. This could be anything from listening to the sound of people talking, to tasting and smelling the food you’re trying, or simply feeling the sand beneath your feet.
By focusing on using all five of your senses you can create memories that will last forever, and they will be far richer than those gathered through taking a quick photo and moving on to the next place of interest.
Mindful travel by ferry
There really is no better way to relax than feeling the sea breeze on your face, while listening to the sound of the waves, and enjoying a glass of your favourite drink, and ferry travel allows you to experience this as soon as you step on board.
Wander around the ship at your own pace, choose when you want to eat your meals, and relax with your feet up whenever you feel like it, there’s no rush to do anything when you’re sailing across the sea towards your next adventure.
If you feel inspired to try some mindful travel for yourself, book your ferry crossing with us today and start planning a trip that will both excite and revitalise you.
