Secrets to a Great Vacation

Daniel Ariely, Duke University

1. Do lots of research and planning ahead of time
   It sounds counterintuitive, but people get the biggest boost in happiness from the anticipation in the weeks before their vacations. All the planning, dreaming, reading guidebooks and surfing the Internet for recommendations doesn't just serve to enhance the actual vacation - it can be one of the best parts of the vacation.
2. Plan different stages
   When going on a long vacation, you may get more satisfaction out of it if you break it into two or three distinct periods, changing locations and activities for each segment.
3. Plan for at least one high point during the vacation
   People tend to think it's the overall average of the various vacation experiences (easy travel, good food, good weather) that determines your happiness. But studies reveal that what really matters is doing something memorable. Even if everything else is just so-so, the memory of that peak moment and the sense of vitality it provides can leave you feeling great about your vacation.
   
   Peak moments are a far more important factor than how much money you spend or whether you do everything on your itinerary. So if you come across a museum that you absolutely adore, your best bet is to go ahead and spend the rest of your day there and skip the sights you may have felt obligated to visit.
4. Save the high point for near the very end of your trip
   People often are eager to get to their favourite activity right away on a trip, but that can actually work against maximizing your enjoyment. Memories of a great first day will have faded by the end of the trip, but not before making everything else that follows seem a little less special. Our research suggests that how you feel on the last day of your trip colors your impressions of the overall experience almost as much as peak moments, so make that day a fulfilling one!
5. Don't sweat the low points during a vacation
   Misplacing your passport or the airline losing your luggage may seem ruinous to your trip. But if you don't view them as disasters, such events really don't deter from your enjoyment of a vacation. In fact, if a vacation headache is memorable enough, you might even recall it fondly.
6. Take photos, but not too many
   Avoid documenting your entire trip with hundreds of shots. Taking and keeping many photos dulls positive memories because when you see all of them, you're reminded of all the tedious moments. You need just a few photographs of spectacular moments to trigger powerful and pleasing memories
7. Keep the memories of your vacation alive once you get home
   The boost to your happiness is gone within a few weeks unless you make a conscious effort to shape and enhance the memories and feelings. To help do this, display a few select photos from the vacation where you can see them every day (on your computer screen saver or your night table). Also relive the trip with friends and family. The more you can use your vacation in social situations to provide conversation fodder, the longer-lasting your enjoyment.

By permission, from
Daniel Ariely, PhD
James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina USA
www.danariely.com