How can I prolong that holiday feeling?

I'm just back from a short break in glorious Robin Hood's Bay. As usual - once I've actually got away - most of my stresses seem to melt away, and I spend the break feeling optimistic and energised. Every time I want those feelings to last - but back in the juggle of daily life, they fade quickly.

Coaching and other clients have been discussing preparing for holidays - that feeling of getting to a clean edge before you go at work -

Increasing evidence from psychology is starting to explain the specific ways that holidays can increase our wellbeing, the types of most restorative activities, and how we can prolong those holiday feelings.
Previously psychologists studying wellbeing had mostly focused on the more general benefits of relaxation and leisure activities (eg. reading). Now they're starting to consider the seemingly distinct opportunities for a mental reset.

When does the mood boost begin, and how long does it last?

Ryan Grant and colleagues recently reviewed(2025) reviewed 32 different studies, suggesting that the average holiday mood boost begins with the anticipation of a trip.
(Anecdotally from my part, I probably need to spend less time dashing around getting ready to go away, and more time anticipating where we're going and what we'll be doing!)

Those good feelings remain highly elevated for about 3 weeks after we have returned home - and may not return to the daily grind baseline for anoter 3 weeks!

And focussing on the "right" kind of happiness might make a big difference. Mohammed Aldossary & Graeme McLean argue in a paper on using virtual reality to prolong the influence of a vacation (2022) for a distinction between "hedonic" wellbeing, which concerns enjoyment and pleasure, and "eudaimonic" wellbeing, which concerns “personal growth, sense of purpose and meaning”. These terms derive from the ancient Greeks.

Hedonic wellbeing on holiday might come from enjoying nice food, lounging on a beach or staying in a lovely hotel. Eudaimonic wellbeing could come from the sense of achievement in completing a challenging hike, learning about a new culture or connecting with fellow travellers. Theyfound that a boost in hedonic wellbeing faded pretty quickly. However eudaimonic feelings lingered for at least eight weeks.

So holidays that combine both elements – pure relaxation alongside the kinds of activities that feel more purposeful - could help sustain that holiday feeling for longer afterwards.

How could we plan a really restorative holiday?

Based on the available research on both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing, Nanxi Yan and her colleagues distilled the key elements to think about (2023)

• ‍Escapism: detaching from your daily routine
• Relatedness: embracing social connection with people close to you, local communities or nature  
• Autonomy: doing something for yourself (rather than always going along with others’ wishes)
• Mastery: discovering new skills - or even overcoming a fear
• Novelty: seeking new experiences
• Positive self: learning about your capabilities and core values
• Emotion change: looking for positive feelings like comfort, pleasure or awe  
• Meaning: understanding that your existence is significant, purposeful and coherent

This isn't a list to tick every box: some might be more significant to you to you than others, or easier to achieve.

Some of these elements might be baked in to a holiday away: escapism (from daily routines and chores) and some level of novelty, even in a familiar destination (I guess different cakes at my favourite café at Ravenscar, or even a different flavour of icecream: Beacon Farm's cinder toffee this time!).

But other elements might need a bit of planning. I'm more likely to discover a new skill by trying out a new activity (sea kayaking) for mastery than I am to finally overcome my very real fear of falling from heights. Luckily no abseiling or climbing on the N York coast: the cliffs are too crumbly.

Do holidays have to be long or expensive to be effective? (no!)

No! The greatest relief may come from just five or six days break. Nor do activities have to be exceptionally luxurious: in Grant & colleagues' 2025 meta-analysis, physical exercise proved to be one of the best predictors of enhanced wellbeing. Our long walks on the cinder track and Cleveland Way turn out to have added benefits from being in "blue" space (see White & colleagues 2020 for an overview of the research in this area).

You may not even have to leave home - so long as you take those psychological needs seriously and don’t simply spend the time catching up on other responsibilities. When planned well, a holiday at home can still be beneficial.

Avoiding routine chores, trying new local activities, visiting nearby nature or creating small rituals could make the time feel different from the ordinary day-to-day.

How can we extend the benefits afterwards?

Whether you are travelling abroad or staying at home, active ways to immerse yourself in the memories of the experiences seem to prolong the benefits. Maybe our older relatives were really onto something with their holiday snaps slideshows when I was a child (at least for themselves!).

While we might not all have access to the VR headsets that Aldossary & McLean used to return to a holiday location, but journaling in vivid detail, creating a rich photo or video montage that you actively revisit, or even planning a return trip to the same destination, could all tap into similar psychological pathways.