2021 02 Mag_S_PAcompressed

THE SCENE
PHOTO BY ROBERTO NICKSON, UNSPLASH
people were happier
during the planning
stages of a vacation than
they were after taking
one. Put another way,
we’re likely to enjoy the
anticipation of a trip
more than we enjoy reminiscing
about it afterward,
a theory that was
seconded and thirded by
later studies. According
to findings by researcher
Jeroen Nawijn published
in the journal Applied
Research in Quality of
Life, travelers planning a
vacation reported being
happier than people
who aren’t dreaming of
their next escape. That
2010 study found that all
vacationers experienced
a significant boost in
happiness during the
planning stages of a trip.
“For most,” the researchers
concluded, “the
enjoyment starts weeks,
even months before the
holiday actually begins.”
We all could benefit
from some more
enjoyment right now.
The global pandemic has
taken a toll on American’s
well-being, as
multiple global surveys
and reports have shown.
One study revealed
that Americans are
experiencing the lowest
levels of happiness in
50 years. And according
to results of the latest
Ipsos survey on global
happiness released in
October, the prevalence
of happiness is down
more than nine points
in the United States
compared with last year.
Of those surveyed, 25
percent reported being
“not very happy” and six
percent saying they are
“not happy at all.”
If you can relate,
now’s the time to start
planning your next
escape. A new poll conducted
by the Institute
for Applied Positive
Research backed up earlier
studies, finding that
simply planning a trip
can help boost happiness
and alleviate stress.
According to the institute’s
founder Michelle
Gielan, “Booking a trip—
even just getting it on
the calendar—might be
the very thing we need
to restore our emotional
immune system after
months of mounting
uncertainty and stress.”
If your bank account
is laughing at the
thought of booking a vacation,
first applaud its
sense of humor. Then reassure
it that dreaming
of getting away at any
point in the future is not
an exercise in futility:
planning for life returning
to normal can be a
comforting activity amid
all the uncertainty. Just
because you couldn’t
swing a trip in the immediate
future doesn’t
negate the positive
impact that anticipating
a vacation can have on
your mental health.
This is a long way of
suggesting you go start a
Pinterest board or two to
populate with photos of
whatever exotic paradise
catches your wandering,
lusting eye. Because one
day—perhaps one day
soon-ish—you can be
on your way to finding
it. There’s no time like
the present to plan your
future escape. It’s all
but guaranteed to bring
joy to your world this
holiday season.
FEBRUARY 2021 SENSIMAG.COM 33