Ten ways to make the most of your holiday

Holiday's are vital for us to stay sane and function. We need rest, but we also need to be stimulated with stress free activities. Here are ten ways to really make the most of your time away or even holidays spent at home:-

1- Plan the time before you leave for your holiday. Try and get things ready before you need to rush to the flight or to get to a site before 8pm etc. There is no point starting a holiday stressed, this will mean stress will continue indefinitely.

2- Are you going to relax or have none stop activities. Maybe you should do both? By having time to relax and time to let go you relieve stress effectively. exercise will increase your metabolic rate which will help you feel more positive. Combining this with relaxing activities will mean you get the stress free time and healthy rewards of activity. This is important if you're day job is sedentary.

3- Book activities before you go. There is nothing worse than turning up to an activity park or even a beaty spa to find there are no bookings left. You have just wasted all that time and money getting there so make sure you have things to do.

4- If you have kids try and book them into some activities that they can do unsupervised so that you get some time to yourself.

5- Also having one or two activities where you split the family in two or each partner has time to themselves ensures that cabin fever doesn't set in and ruin you're holiday. Think the Shining holiday sun and not 'The Shining' the film for your holiday!!

6- Arrive with your phone off metaphorically or literally. Don't be tempted to answer business calls on holiday. If you have to check emails allocate one or two hours max per week to deal with business. Remeber this is a holiday. If you are a workaholic 'get a grip' or don't go on holiday. Why spend all your hard earned money on a holiday and then spend half of it attending to work issues. Consider leaving your phone or laptop or ipad at home.

7- Try and find time to appreciate the culture of wherever you go. Remember this may be the only time you ever come to this place, make it a trip to remember with vivid memories as well as lounging about. We all need time to lounge but don't just do that.

8- Why not spend one day exploring nature and really getting to grips with wherever you are including being in the UK. There is some stunning countryside near you wherever you are so go and find it and cherish the time with your loved ones and take a picture to remind you of the beautiful places you have been.

9- Don't just flash your camera though, why not get some pens and pads out. Have a coffee and get your kids to sketch the view. Any meaningful way you can engage with the landscape or city around you is to observe it and draw it. It doesn't have to be good, but by taking the time to draw something will en-grain it in your memory forever

10- Let your kids make choices. Let them feel like this is their holiday too. By giving them options and explaining the costs and benefits of each option you enable them to understand the value and cost of your holiday. They will then be more interested in it and may be you will have a more peaceful time (maybe, I make no promises!!)

Have fun whatever you do and remember its your holiday so do whatever you want and enjoy it, don't waste it.