A Positive Holiday Mindset for Year-Round Good Vibes
We all need a break from the stresses and worries in our lives. When the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, taking a much-needed holiday became more complicated. The good news is that while travel restrictions may come and go, we can still embrace a holiday mindset from home.
Creating a holiday wish list or planning your next wellness break offers a gentle form of escapism, allowing you to dream of beautiful destinations and shift your mindset toward rest and renewal. You can also cultivate the “holiday feeling” year-round through mindfulness and daily wellbeing practices. This helps you stay calm and positive without waiting for the next getaway to relieve stress.
By nurturing positivity and raising your energy levels daily, you can enjoy relaxation wherever you are. When the time finally comes to travel, you’ll return feeling even more refreshed. Sophrology is an ideal practice to support your mindset before, during, and after a holiday, helping you sustain positivity all year long.
How Sophrology Can Help You Have a Positive Mindset
Practising a relaxation method such as Sophrology can bring benefits similar to a holiday: stresses fade, calm returns, and positivity flows more easily. When you’re relaxed, you naturally appreciate life more and interact with others from a grounded, open-hearted place.
Sophrology blends inspiration from yoga and Zen Buddhism with modern therapeutic tools such as autogenic training. It offers practical techniques to help you cope with modern life, stay calm, and thrive. During uncertain times, a regular Sophrology practice helps you tap into your inner potential and navigate life with clarity and purpose.
Through breathing, gentle movement, and visualisation, you can soothe inner turmoil regardless of what is happening around you. Visualisation is especially powerful for fostering positivity. A simple Body Scan, for example, helps release tension as you breathe into different parts of your body and imagine yourself in a peaceful landscape. You might anchor yourself with a positive word like confidence, breathing it in and allowing it to flow through your body.
Sophrology only requires about ten minutes a day and is a highly efficient way to regain balance. Once you reach this state, your thinking becomes clearer and you feel more able to steer life in the right direction.
Holidays remain a wonderful complement to a positive mindset, offering new experiences and opportunities for self-discovery. But it is also important to understand what you truly need from a wellness holiday and set clear expectations.
Know Your Goals When You Plan Your Wellness Holiday
Having clear goals for a wellness break ensures you get the most out of your time away. Perhaps you feel you need a week of doing nothing, but your body may also need attention after periods of high stress—such as returning to regular eating routines or reintroducing movement. A wellness holiday can be the perfect opportunity to reset.
When planning a retreat or spa break, expert advice can be invaluable. Frances Geoghegan, Owner & Founder of the multi-award-winning Healing Holidays, recommends choosing programmes tailored to your individual needs. If you’re selecting a retreat to address specific issues, it’s essential to understand the strengths of each spa.
- For energy and vitality: choose a detox holiday with carefully planned meals and personalised fitness programmes. Options include the Longevity Resort in Portugal or a Pilates boot camp at Absolute Sanctuary in Koh Samui.
- For weight loss: consider a medically supervised detox programme. Examples include Villa Stephanie in Germany, SHA Wellness in Spain, Lanserhof Tegernsee, Viva Mayr, or Park Igls in Austria.
- For long-term holistic health: explore Ayurveda retreats in India or Sri Lanka, such as Soukya, offering deep mind–body support.
- For spiritual growth: experience a wellness sabbatical at Vana in India, where Ayurveda, Tibetan Healing, and Chinese Medicine form part of a personalised programme.
Focus on how you want to feel after your holiday and how you can maintain that feeling. Take moments to pause and reflect on what your mind and body truly need. Being mindful during your break ensures the benefits last long after you return home.
It’s easy to slip back into old habits once routine resumes, but practising just ten minutes of Sophrology each day can help keep stress in check and maintain those positive holiday vibes.
You can explore free Sophrology exercises on the BeSophro website and learn how to cultivate a positive mindset in the Move Forward with Positivity online course.