Have you been struck out of the blue with a bolt of wanderlust? Do you find it impossible to stop scrolling through your friends’ travel Instagram feed while feeling a twinge of envy at the same time? We know you’ve been hard at work growing your company or studying for those exams, but the stress levels are mounting, and you could really use a break.
Guess what? It’s time you booked your next trip abroad. Here are some common signs that show you’ve been putting off your travel plans for a little too long:
1) You’re down and distracted at work
You love your job… or so you thought. But lately, it’s been harder than ever to get your creative juices flowing. Staring at the same blank walls from nine to five daily doesn’t go far in the way of inspiration either. To make matters worse, you spend those long meetings zoning out and daydreaming about all the places you want to visit. You think you might just die from boredom and you’re pretty sure caffeine is the only thing keeping you alive right now.
2) Your coping mechanisms fall short
All that time spent in the office means you have to find some way to de-stress. However, this does not mean that you should burn a hole in your pocket by going on shopping sprees every weekend. Nor does it mean you should be binging on chocolate throughout the workday because you read somewhere that it helps improves your mood. Even your best mates are turning down your invitations to go for drinks every few nights. These are all short-term ways to de-stress and can only provide only temporary relief.
3) You’re obsessed with your smartphone
Every time you tell yourself “just one more episode” you find yourself consuming a whole season instead. You think you’d want to get away from the screen after staring at it for the better part of a workday, but you’re already so tired, and you just can’t be bothered to get out of the house, so you look to your smartphone for mind-numbing entertainment. Your phone has become your world. You need a digital detox, and you need it fast lest you turn into one of those digital zombies.
4) Your body is fighting you
You’re having trouble sleeping and after a night of tossing and turning you wake up in the mornings grumpier than ever. Even your loved-ones are pointing out that your fuse is getting shorter. You’ve lost your sense of humour and gained a truckload of headaches and backaches along the way. Oh yeah, you think you might also need some new glasses.
5) Your subconscious seeks out travel
You can’t help it. Every free moment you get your mind wanders to a far off destination. You find yourself seeking out the cheapest fares on Wego, browsing travel blogs in search of your next holiday destination and checking your passport for blank pages. It’s even found its way into your dreams. Your partner has informed you that they heard you mumbling something about cheap flights in your sleep!
6) You don’t know if it’s envy or nostalgia
You can’t stop looking at photos of far off places. Instagram is practically a mine zone, and you can’t decide if you’re in a low-key co-dependent relationship with the #wanderlust hashtag. Social media is continuously flooded with updates on your friends’ travels around the world, and you think you might launch into a song like a Disney Princess one of these days because “When exactly will my life begin?” Meanwhile, you make do with wistfully scrolling through your camera roll and later-gramming the odd photo from the Christmas holidays… which doesn’t even fully count since it was at your parent’s place.
7) Your reputation as a “work martyr” precedes you
“It’s him!” “So he’s the workaholic you were talking about!” “Are you sure you have to work through lunch today?” Frankly speaking, you’re getting a little sick of hearing these whispers around you. But work-life balance? What’s that? You behave as you’ve never heard of it before! Your job consumes you, it has become your whole identity, and you’re starting to feel like you won’t know who you are without it. Meanwhile, you’re watching as those vacation days stack up.
8) You think it’s finally time to book a trip
All the stress, negativity, backaches and lack of sleep has finally caught up with you. No one is so busy they can’t find the time to look after themselves. You have vacation days for a reason, and you finally think it’s time to cash them in and mark down the days till you find yourself jetting off to your dream destination.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book that trip now!
