{"id":11174,"date":"2020-10-12T08:07:22","date_gmt":"2020-10-11T22:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=11174"},"modified":"2020-11-11T12:31:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T02:31:18","slug":"how-a-mini-break-turned-my-2020-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/australia\/mini-break-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"How a mini-break turned my 2020 around"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chances are you\u2019ve had so many awesome things cancelled this year. In my case, weddings, holidays and family gatherings were replaced by homeschooling, job uncertainty and takeaway food delivery. Sitting on the couch has never been more exhausting.<\/p>\n

If you feel like you\u2019ve been losing it a little (or a lot), I can guarantee you\u2019re not the only one. Right now, few of us have the time, the funds or the permission \ud83d\ude11 to spend two weeks at a Zen yoga retreat, so relaxation feels like a lifetime away. But here\u2019s the good news \u2013 you don\u2019t have to have a long, expensive holiday in a distant land to reset yourself. Here are six reasons why booking a mini-break could get you through the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

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1. It builds anticipation<\/h2>\n

Just like the Christmas break helps you drag yourself through those last workdays at the end of the year, so too will the trip you\u2019ve cleverly booked in. Never underestimate the motivational magic of something to look forward to, especially this year. I booked my mini-break in July and just the thought of having a few sunny days at the beach in September got me through the drizzly, overcast winter months that I was stuck inside.<\/p>\n

2. (Almost) everything is flexible<\/h2>\n

There are positives to come out of COVID: one being the more flexible cancellation policies<\/a> around travel. When I booked my trip, things were still a bit uncertain so I made sure I took advantage of the great cancellation policies that a lot of businesses \u2013 including hotels and transport companies \u2013 are offering. Some places will allow you to cancel up to two days beforehand, without any fee. It\u2019ll give you both peace of mind to look forward to your trip and a little bit of extra security if things change at the last minute.<\/p>\n

3. It could secure you some freedom<\/h2>\n

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Holidaying with kids can be memorable and solidify your bond with your babies but let\u2019s be real: it\u2019s not relaxing! Sure, early mornings are easier when you\u2019re waking up to an ocean view but just the idea of lugging a million things to the beach and monitoring sunscreen applications, sleep times, hunger levels, weather changes before even worrying about the possibility of someone pooing in their togs can immediately zap allllll those happy holiday vibes. So if you feel like you\u2019re on the brink and you\u2019ve had far too much time inside with your family, enlist anyone you can (MIL, siblings, mates, a friendly door knocker) to watch your kids while you soak up the silence. You\u2019ll hardly know what to do with yourself.<\/p>\n

4. It\u2019s a great chance to do nothing<\/h2>\n

Okay. You\u2019ve got a sitter, you\u2019ve arrived at your destination and you can\u2019t pick what to do first. Here\u2019s my handy tip \u2013 do NONE OF THE THINGS. Or at least don\u2019t plan activities from sunrise to sunset. A true sanity-saving break is where you spend most of your time just hanging out, having a cocktail and thinking about how relaxed you are. I spent my mini-break doing nothing at Palm Bay Resort on Long Island<\/a>, where the distractions are few and the head count is fewer.<\/p>\n

5. You can step outside your comfort zone<\/h2>\n

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COVID has successfully made our comfort zones, well, a little too comfortable. I suggest that if you do choose to slip in a few activities to your holiday, don\u2019t stick to the things you always go for. Stepping outside that well-worn comfort zone and trying something new will give you a rush of adrenaline and make you feel like you are capable of anything (sidenote: you are). You don\u2019t have to bungee jump or skydive to feel accomplished: even something as small as snorkeling out a little deeper to spy a reef shark, like I did, will give you the mood boost you crave (and will make a great story for your kids when you get home).<\/p>\n

6. You\u2019ll probably travel more (hooray!)<\/h2>\n

Travel inspires travel. Once you realise how hassle-free it is to book in something to look forward to, you\u2019re much more likely to do it more often. A beach trip or an overnight staycation in your own city doesn\u2019t have to be a big thing to plan \u2013 but it can be a big thing to experience, especially if you\u2019ve had a particularly tricky year. So, book a little vacay and have something to look forward to \u2013 your sanity will thank you. Happy planning!<\/p>\n<\/i> PLAN YOUR NEXT MINI-BREAK <\/a>\n

Heads up!<\/strong> Due to COVID-19, government restrictions are in constant review and travel guidelines may change. We strongly recommend that all travellers seek further information about destinations and attractions before scheduling trips or making bookings, take extra care and follow all rules.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chances are you\u2019ve had so many awesome things cancelled this year. In my case, weddings, holidays and family gatherings were replaced by homeschooling, job uncertainty and takeaway food delivery. Sitting on the couch has never been more exhausting. If you feel like you\u2019ve been losing it a little (or a lot), I can guarantee you\u2019re …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":11188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[740],"tags":[31,894],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11174"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11623,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11174\/revisions\/11623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}