April 27, 2026, 5:00 am | Read time: 2 minutes
We want to relax–and stress ourselves out beforehand to make sure everything is perfect during the vacation. Not so smart, right? Two experts offer tips on how to unwind effectively.
Summer vacation is just around the corner, and the anticipation is high. But preparing for the trip can quickly become stressful. Two experts from the Center for Mental Health at Asklepios Klinikum Harburg, Dr. Bettina Löhberg and Nicole Plinz, provide advice on how to relax before and after your vacation.
3 Tricks to Avoid Stress on Vacation
1. Check Vacation Destinations
The choice of destination should align with personal desires rather than the expectations of others. Nicole Plinz, therapeutic director at the Center for Stress Medicine, says: “You end up going to Thailand when you really want to go to Amrum–and return stressed and unhappy. Ask yourself: Am I fulfilling an image or my own wishes?” Choosing the right vacation spot can significantly enhance relaxation.
2. “Permission” to Relax
Often, our own expectations for the vacation are very high, adding extra pressure. Dr. Bettina Löhberg, senior physician at the Center for Stress Medicine, says: “Vacationing is not easy! Free time is often loaded with high expectations: It should be harmonious, exciting, relaxing–all these demands create stress.” Therefore, it’s important to allow time each day for aimless leisure: “just do nothing or something aimlessly.”
3. Trick the Brain
Even if we can’t always be at our dream destination, it helps to imagine places we long for and mentally send the brain on vacation, as Nicole Plinz explains: “Since several of its areas can’t distinguish between fiction and reality, you can simply imagine places you long for. The brain then thinks it’s there.” This technique can provide relaxation even in everyday life.
Additionally, the experts recommend building a buffer between the last workday and the first vacation day, as well as between the last vacation day and the first workday. And: “Good organization can help, such as being generous with the wishes of others,” says Plinz.
With material from dpa