Go on holiday every 12 weeks

[fangia]

DP and I have a plan to help us get through a stressful year at work. It is to go on a one week holiday every 12 weeks. Nothing fancy. £400 each for b&b with flights and a car for example.

Does anyone else go away this frequently? Does it help keep stress down?

Professional role and yes, the majority of the people I work with do this, including me. Possibly more regularly than 12 weekly mostly too.

Within my work, clients and friendship group it’s not at all unusual to go away regularly - factor in children and it’s eg, Feb half term, Easter, May half term, summer holidays, October half term, Christmas.

For me it makes a huge difference, I have a stressful full on job and wouldn’t want to do it without the next break lined up to look forward to

Yes, even if its just a UK break

4 times a year essentially. I don't. But I can see that little-and-often could be better than a big one once a year.

I'd rather have something amazing to look forward to once, but I don't see how your way is worse.

We tend to do feb and October half term UK, main holiday abroad in summer and a couple of weekends in between. We enjoy it but can't particularly say it keeps stress down.

Yeah I do it, and my god it helps.

dh, I and the 2x dcs. We do 4x 5 breaks a year. 2 proper holidays and then the other 2 extended weekends away in the UK. It’s a change of scenery, something to look forward too. Probably could combine the 2x3 city breaks and go on another holiday but honestly it’s the time away, no temptation to log on over the weekend and the 4 day week. Highly recommend and my job isn’t even that stressful

Yes and more often sometimes; it helps me with work stress and cope with UK weather and grey skies to have something to look forward to.

We aren't far off, albeit two of these will be staying with relatives elsewhere in the UK. I wouldn't say it keeps stress down as such, but it's enjoyable. I also don't care for the heat so would be sticking to maritime in the summer even if we were millionaires. Which helps with costs, as the huge amazing summer fortnight model doesn't really work for us.

We do something simular but not necessarily abroad as my OH is a teacher. And the kids are all now school age.

We do Friday to Sunday break (December, June, September)

We do a 5 day holiday October half term and February

And we do a 7 day holiday in the 6 weeks and Easter.

Works for us. Weekend breaks are the ones we always do without the kids.

DC are grown up now and we do probaly 3 one week holidays abroad plus 3 weekends in the UK.
We used to do two week holidays but I now prefer a week or maybe 8 nights.

We go on holiday in July/August, Easter and Christmas usually for 10-14 days abroad.

Then we often do an odd weekend too throughout the year. We watch lots of bands so usually make a weekend of it whilst watching them.

My friend is a school administrator and goes away somewhere every single school holiday.

She’s always desperate for a break apparently and is incredulous that most of us have nowhere near enough annual leave to consider doing the same!

A few years ago there was a Green party policy to tax flights or holidays or something similar. An interviewer asked their spokesman something like "But aren't people entitled to a holiday?" and he said something along the lines of "Well, suppose we organised society so that people didn't feel the need to get away from the stresses of their daily life so often?".

At the time I wrote it off as airy-fairy lefty stuff, and in fact I still think it probably is airy-fairy lefty stuff. But it sits and niggles at the back of my mind from time to time. I remember that in the last few years of my working life, the contrast between how I felt on holiday and how I felt having to go back to the bullshit in the office was a factor in me taking early retirement.

I like my job and I find holidays quite stressful 😂

We used to do two one weeks one in March one in October, two weeks in Summer and ten days at Christmas. some weekends away. Not averaging at 1 in 12 but a good spread throughout the year.

We do this- both work stressful jobs that pay well and it’s partly why I do the job!

This year: 2.5 weeks Easter holiday, 1 week July, 1 week October and 1 week over NYE.

Trying to work out next year.

I need a regular injection of heat and sun.

I love having things booked that I can look forward too - it's particularly important during the dark, dismal winter months and long slogs like we had this year from Jan-July when our DC were sitting important exams. So yes! Do what works for you and if that's a trip every 12 weeks - do that. If you don't have kids you can travel during the cheaper weeks and if you're happy to self cater or stay in a cheap hotel I reckon you could really keep the costs down, particularly if you avoid the big tourist destinations. Go to the smaller places, the second or third cities in a country, the less-well-known island, etc. I often gaze with envy at the off-peak prices, while I have to book the peak weeks in school holidays.

Retired early and am away as often as I feel like it. Never during school hols which is a huge bonus price wise.

Sometimes the planning and research about a place I'm interested in is half the fun and twice the enjoyment of the actual trip itself!

I'm looking at taking the ferry to Santander soon as a foot passenger and have a window cabin all to myself. Be like a cruise only a lot cheaper. Lounge access too. Woo hoo. And solo.

All aboard.

We go away as often as possible between September and June but we are retired so we are fortunate to be able to avoid the highest prices and don't really have any stress. Several of the holidays will be to get away from the grey, wet or cold weather, so Canaries in winter, others will be to experience new places.

halava fingers crossed for you for a calm crossing through the Bay of Biscay.

I find these replies fascinating. I can't even afford one holiday a year, let alone one every 12 weeks! I would love to be in your position, I think it sounds amazing!

Basically every time I'm not at work I'm out of the country

when the kids were younger we couldn't afford it but now they are older and don't even come with us most of the time!

My friend does this and it really does help his stress as he always has something to look forward to.
I thankfully no longer work at the hellhole he does, but it really does help him through.

Yes, we are doing 4 holidays this year along with weekend breaks.

Doesn’t really help, I reached burnout point and have handed in my notice anyway but we will still try and get away as much as we can. DH is older and retired so it’s important we do as much as we can.

We usually go away for every school holiday bar one, but that's more to do with annual leave allowance.

Before kids we went away approx every 3 months whether it was a weekend or a longer holiday.

It's a MN cliche but dh does earn a lot of money and he needs the break from the stressful job, plus we do like travelling.

We go away every 6 to 8 weeks for a UK break and every 3 months for a European city break.We never have a weeks holiday anywhere so no " big summer holiday".
I'm not a sun person so this suits me down to the ground.