How to prepare for a stress-free holiday

If you're going on holiday during school time, here are some tips to help you prepare for a stress-free holiday.

September marks the start of a new academic year. However, not everyone follows the national education timeline, like me, for example.

School holidays are a prime time for families and students to travel. But for those who can take time off from work at any time in the year, now might be when you're going on holiday.

I know that previously my family and I have been on holiday in September and October. Not only is it out of the summer holidays, lessening the likelihood of children being there, but it's also cheaper. Plus, with the way the weather has been recently, September continues to have some sunshine.

Therefore, I thought I'd share some tips for those who go on holiday during term-time. Hopefully, these tips can help you prepare for a stress-free holiday, making sure you enjoy it to the fullest.

Know your dates and times

Perhaps one of the most important tips for this blog is to know your dates and times. Whether you're staying in the UK or going abroad, it's essential to know timings.

Make a note of the dates you'll be away, from the day you leave to when you return. Plan when you'll be leaving to make sure you have enough time to get there before check-in.

If you're flying or getting a train, make a note of when your flight or train depart. There is nothing worse than thinking you've got lots of time, hearing your boarding number, and having to run through the airport — trust me, I've been there.

Once you've made a note of the dates and times, it's good to have them in an accessible place that you'll remember to look at. You could text it to yourself, set a reminder, or have a Post-It note stuck to your passport or car keys; somewhere you'll find it and won't be worried about being late.

Meet every deadline

When you're going on holiday, it can be a mad dash to get all your work finished in time before you go. Especially if you've got multiple projects and looming deadlines.

So, I'd recommend a few weeks before your holiday, making a note of any deadlines you'll have coming up. That way, you'll know that when your holiday draws closer, what work you need to complete and submit on time.

If you're a freelancer, this can also be helpful if you're offered more projects. Having a list of upcoming deadlines can help you prioritise work and ensure you don't take on too much before your holiday.

I know I always make a note of my university assessment and enrolment deadlines, so I don't miss anything whilst away.

Create an out-of-office

A lot of communication between colleagues is done via email nowadays, especially for those who work remotely or are freelancers. But emails can build up pretty quickly and fill up your inbox.

One handy way of managing this and ensuring urgent queries/emails are met is by creating an out-of-office. It doesn't have to be complex; it can be as simple as saying:

'Thank you for your email. I'm currently on holiday until XX/XX/20XX. I will get back to you as soon as I return, but for urgent matters, please email *INSERT COLLEAGUE NAME*. Thank you.'

That's just a rough draft, but you get the idea. Having a colleague who can help manage the emails you're sent can be hugely beneficial, so that when you return, you won't have a huge volume of emails to reply to.

Write a returning to-do list

I absolutely love a to-do list. I find them incredibly helpful and probably wouldn't be half as organised as I am without one.

If you're planning to go on holiday, one way to make it stress-free is by writing a to-do list before you go for when you return.

What I mean is that on your final day of work, write a to-do list — it doesn't have to be long — of key tasks that you know you'll need to do upon your return. Whatever it may be, write it down, and that way, when you come back from holiday, you won't be panicking about what to do.

I've returned from holiday before and forgotten what I was doing beforehand and what needed to be done, so having a to-do list is an easy way to refresh your mind and avoid stressing during the final few days of your holiday.

So as September begins and children return to school, if you're planning a trip to go on holiday, then I hope these tips can help. If you have any tips of your own, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Until next time...