How A Safe, Family Vacation Improved My Mindset

Going on vacation can be a fun, exciting and adventurous experience no matter who you are and where you go. Family vacations can absolutely be like that, too. Especially how the world is right now, I’ve found that a safe family vacation actually provided many of the mindset improvements that I’ve been looking for in life recently. Although every family is different, and the places you will take your family vacation will depend on the safety, health and world concerns that naturally arise, I’ve found that in many ways, a safe, family vacation was exactly what I needed in my life. Here are a few ways that my recent trip improved my mindset.

• Relaxation

Both on a physiological level and on a mental level, the relaxation of taking the family on a trip together and getting to take a break from the stressors of everyday life can offer so many mental benefits. Although it certainly is possible to relax under a variety of circumstances, including trips alone or with another person aside from family, I actually found that bringing the family along and having everyone together and within eye line reduced the stress of wondering what was going on elsewhere.

• New Adventures

Even with a safe family vacation, it’s absolutely possible to have new adventures and fun experiences together that make fantastic memories. While the adventures I have with family are definitely different from those I have alone or with friends, they’re still great ones that I have the privilege of sharing with the people I love, which is one of the best adventures of all.

• Quality Family Time

Among the many benefits of this trip was the ability to spend quality time with the people I love and care about. Even though there are plenty of ways to get quality family time in during regular life, there’s something special and bonding about doing it in a brand new place while exploring different activities outside of our comfort zones. However, with a fun, family-friendly vacation spot, there’s a relieving sense that everyone can have a good time and stay safe in the process. 

• Recharging Together

One of my favorite parts of going on a vacation together is recharging as a family. Although there is a lot of value to having some alone time to recharge and reset, having time to recharge as a family has a bit of a different feel to it, which can be much-needed in family life. Often, it can be easy to feel like functioning as a part of a unit is transactional and hectic — taking one child to soccer and another to piano, discussing bills and chores with my partner — but a vacation is a trip specifically designed to recharge not just the individual, but the connections we hold together. 

• Boosting My Energy

Although most breaks from the regular flow can have this effect, I found that a safe, family vacation truly recharged my energies personally and gave me a boost when returning back to the standard pace of life. Sometimes we all just need a break, and the only real solution is taking one, whether you’re alone, with the family or doing something unexpected. Family vacations have the power to do that just as much as solo trips, at least in my experience. 

• Overall Life Satisfaction

While this might be a bit of a logical connection, it is an important one to mention — taking breaks, especially ones with the people I love, usually radiates positivity throughout the rest of my life. It gives me a sense of balance, satisfaction and even purpose that can be difficult to center on when I’m going so quickly through the motion of busy days. It makes me feel like our hard work as a family has paid off in giving us these periods of wonderful quality time together, and that feeling carries long after we unpack.

• Adjusting to the Current World

As for the “safety” part of the equation, it is important to keep an eye on things and stay connected to the world around you. One of the reasons that taking a vacation as a family was so satisfying was because it gave us the opportunity to interact with the world in a safe, yet still satisfying way. When it comes to COVID precautions, as well as other safety concerns, we were able to approach things logically and rationally so we could still enjoy ourselves without putting anyone at risk.

The Beauty of a Safe Family Vacation

Any opportunity you have to take a rest is a wonderful, welcome thing. However, there’s something especially important about spending quality time with the people you love. Going on a safe family vacation made that abundantly clear, and I’m excited to do more of that as the years go by. Do you prefer to travel with family or go at it solo?