In Praise of Doing Nothing on Holiday

I recently spent a week on the coast of Croatia where all I did was swim in the sea and lounge on the beach with my book. In the past, I would have planned a busy itinerary, hired a car and made a long list of places to visit – but nowadays I prefer to travel at a much slower pace. 

I am a huge advocate of doing nothing on holiday. There is so much pressure to show off our holidays – on social media and to our friends – which encourages us to try to cram in as much as possible. The more we have seen and the more photographs we have taken, the more ‘successful’ our holidays appear. Take a step back and think about this more deeply. Who are our holidays for, other people or ourselves?

Rather than worrying about the opinions of others, consider what you really want to get out of your time away. For me, most of the time I’m looking for an escape. I like to switch off and relax, and basically do nothing for a week or two. When you are away travelling, you want to turn off your alarm clock, put down your phone and live in the moment, without worrying about what you will do next. To truly switch off you need to let go of itineraries and allow yourself to enjoy doing nothing at all.

‘Nothing’ doesn’t mean lying in bed all day (although it can, if you’re staying in a beautiful hotel and need your rest). When I talk about doing nothing on holiday, I mean not making plans and allowing the day to flow naturally. A typical day of doing nothing may involve a lie-in, sporadic dips in the sea, slow meals, meandering walks, and time spent reading your book by the pool or on the beach. ‘Nothing’ can mean something entirely different depending on your own personal preferences.

The main thing to remember is to loosen up and enjoy unwinding. Doing ‘nothing’ on your travels isn’t about feeling bored, it’s about feeling rested and relaxed. If the thought of sitting by the pool fills you with dread, consider other ways that you could fill your days. How do you like to relax? Long walks and lingering meals are great ways to pass time, but be wary of rushing, trying to reach a particular destination or finish your meal by a certain time. The best way to ensure you are doing nothing is by removing your watch and leaving your phone in your room.

I particularly love the luxury of doing nothing if I am staying someplace magical. If you are spending your holiday in a boutique hotel or luxury bolthole, you want to have the time to enjoy your surroundings. Why plan a detailed itinerary when you have everything you could want in your immediate vicinity? Allow yourself the time to enjoy all the little luxuries of your hotel, spending time in your room, as well as experiencing the communal spaces. All too often we see the places where we stay as simply somewhere to rest our heads at the end of a busy day, but when you are staying somewhere special you should take the time to indulge in a little laziness.

To prepare yourself for a relaxing getaway of doing nothing, make sure you have everything you need to keep yourself entertained. A pile of books, a notebook and pen or a series of podcasts can help to soothe a hectic brain. Leave the guidebooks at home and allow yourself to simply wake up in the morning and do whatever you feel like throughout the day. Avoid planning ahead, live in the moment and focus on relaxing.