Published on
Updated
Reading 3 min.
The sea, the sun, and fine sand are essential for summer vacations, but certain destinations offer a catalog of activities more conducive to well-being and relaxation. Far from the tourist hustle and bustle. This is particularly the case in Scandinavia, where the benefits of ice baths are no longer in doubt, or of certain retreats carried out in the great outdoors. Here are three off-the-beaten-path activities designed to completely relieve the pressure during the holidays.
Was this year more difficult than others? Do you feel the need to take a breather, really, far from the crowds of big cities and tourist seaside resorts? There are destinations, and more particularly activities, that can increase the beneficial effects of vacations, and it is often science that says so. Here are three that will allow you to spend an original vacation, without ever losing sight of the main objective: to relax and recharge your batteries to better approach the start of the school year.
Icy water rather than crystal clear sea
Who says summer season, often says sea at (at least) 23 degrees. But if sea water offers multiple benefits for the skin, ice water acts on different aspects of mental health. It could therefore be beneficial to set your sights on the Nordic countries, including Norway, where ice baths are legion and their benefits are recognized. The proof with the now famous Wim Hof methodnamed after its inventor, which guarantees “a state of absolute well-being and fullness“. It is more precisely a question of combining breathing exercises and meditation with ice baths to increase their original benefits. Note that numerous scientific studies have attributed to cold water, or more broadly to cold, many benefits, particularly for the immune system and sleep. Even more recently, researchers have suggested that ice baths also help alleviate some of the symptoms of menopause. Head to Northern Europe!
A silent retreat
Don’t talk, and focus on yourself, for a few days, sometimes a week. This is the whole point of the silent retreats which have exploded on social networks in 2023. A good way to completely disconnect, and forget about your daily life at a hundred miles an hour for the rest of the year. Inspired by an ancestral Buddhist technique, Vipassana meditation, synonymous with introspection, silent retreats are now more and more numerous, and offered at prices similar to those of traditional vacations. These are specifically stays in quiet, if not isolated, places, during which silence is golden, and telephones and other computers are prohibited. The goal: to refocus on yourself and restore meaning to your life. Please note, it is not a question of abandoning all activity, silent retreats often offer leisure activities linked to meditation. It all depends on which one you choose.
A vacation to… sleep
Whether you prefer France or abroad, today there are stays entirely dedicated to sleep. The idea may make you smile, but this type of activity is becoming more and more popular. The proof is with the hashtag #sleeptourism which has already generated more than 50 million publications on the Chinese social network TikTok, as well as the growing range of stays focused on sleep offered by many hotel establishments. The main activity, as we will have understood, remains rest – and in luxury beds, even ultra high-tech if you please – but here again it is also a question of letting yourself be seduced by activities intended to refocus on yourself, such as meditation, yoga, or even massages. A good thing for the French adult population who have lost on average between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes of sleep in just 50 years, according to data published by Public health France. Be careful however, unlike previous experiences, these stays offered at the seaside or in large cities are reserved for a wealthy clientele.