If you find that when you go on vacation, You feel tired, run down, and come back from vacation feeling totally exhausted and needing a rest, it may be time for you to try something different. Doing the same thing time after time and expecting a different result when you know exactly what’s going to happen could be described as madness, or just plain daft.
It could be, however, that your body needs a total break of routine and your mind requires something else to focus on. Getting back to nature could be just the ticket, especially as it will only be for a week or so, and here’s how.
#1 Spending time in the great outdoors
Spending more time in the great outdoors, breathing fresh air, walking, and listening to the birds singing may not sound like the perfect idea to you right now, but you might be surprised by just how relaxed you’ll feel.
This will, surprisingly enough, improve the quality of your sleep, especially if you stay under the stars away from unnatural light pollution sources. Deeper, more restful sleep can provide the body with the time that it needs to rejuvenate and have you waking up feeling refreshed and energized for the day to come.
#2 Take in the natural attractions
Of course, you’ll need to do a little more than just have a short walk in the sunshine for this to happen. Focusing your whole vacation on the natural attractions rather than noisy, stress-inducing, theme parks or over-commercialized tourist attractions can have you coming home feeling like an entirely different person.
Regardless of which country you decide to visit on vacation, you’ll find that there are plenty of areas that carry the “area of outstanding natural beauty” label or similar. These could be ancient forests, Jurassic coasts, expansive lakes, hills, and even mountains with astounding views. Undoubtedly, if you still like the idea of having something manmade to look at, there will also be monuments, hill forts, temples, or ancient ruins which may quench your thirst for this.
#3 Make your own time schedules
The best thing about getting back to nature is the limiting structure that’s often enforced upon the weary traveler. Staying in a hotel typically means that restaurant food is only offered and consumed within a certain time range or you have to put up with the poorer-quality room service food as an alternative. You typically need to be at an attraction by a set time in order to actually spend time rushing around trying to see and experience everything before the place closes.
All this can add stress and anxiety to your vacation, especially when you often find yourself spending your relaxation time around other people and their screaming, ill-behaved kids.
In contrast, however, the countryside rarely shuts. There’s generally more than enough space so you don’t have to feel imposed upon by others and can therefore choose to focus on unwinding and taking in the views, eating when you’re hungry, and going back to your lodgings as and when you’re ready.
#4 Plenty of options for sleeping under the stars
There are plenty of options available to you in nature, and how much each one appeals to you will determine your choices.
Bivvying
For instance, if you love the idea of getting back to nature and generally want to rough it under the stars, you have the option of bivvying. This is where you carry your sleeping bag with you and bed down where you want. For most, this would certainly be an extreme option, but there are other more comfortable arrangements on offer.
Camping
The next option is camping, which again to a lot of people is still roughing it. Having to walk half a mile to the nearest bathroom in the dark of night or the cold, early mornings as well as share less than pleasant showering facilities could just be a step too far for someone who’s used to having a hotel room.
Glamping
However, there’s still glamping, which is a fantastic step between what you’re used to and what you want to try. The best way to describe Glamping is camping with luxury. Your tent or yurt is provided for you, you have a proper bed, so there’s no sleeping on the floor (unless you wish to), and depending on the model you choose, there’s even the option of having your own private ensuite.
Glamping can provide you with the ultimate getting-back-to-nature vacation while still feeling civilized, especially as yurts can be located in remote settings so you can enjoy the open air without the added stress of a hotel stay.
