Winter is in full swing for many of us. With the holidays over, wintery weather upon us and colder temperatures looming, many people find January and February to be tough months on the psyche. Would you like an easy way to spark a boost in positivity?

 

Plan a trip.

 

Vacations can do wonders for your spirit, but also planning those sojourns can have tremendous benefits. A study from Cornwall University found that delayed gratitude—or anticipating the experience—can be more pleasurable that actually taking the trip.

 

“It appears that those who are waiting to go on a holiday are much happier with their life as a whole, experience less negative or unpleasant feelings and thus enjoy an overall net positive effect from pleasant feelings.”

 

One you begin planning your vacation, you start to “consume” it. You imagine lying on that beach in the Caribbean, watching fire throwers at a luau in Hawaii, feeling the serenity of a forest while hiking in the Smokey Mountains or reading a book in the cozy nook at the Airbnb you reserved. You begin to experience the actual trip in your mind.

 

If you’d like some inspiration for where to go, Travel+Leisure magazine has a great list of “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022.” We’ve already planned a couple of weekend getaways and a trip to see family in Germany, and we are working on a summer vacation to Croatia.

 

I can’t wait!