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?

Yes, that's how it is for me.
I'm on dialysis which is quite stressful and regular weekends away is really helping and giving me something to plan for and look forward to.
We're doing these instead of a big 2 week holiday.

Sorry for the loss of your mum

I’ve been debating going away this February, last couple of years we’ve done a 5 day trip to Tenerife, blast of sunshine during bleak winter months. I’m hating my job and probably would be sensible to bank the money this year should I be in the position of taking a pay cut when I leave (middle management teaching will resign in May, new job or not). But life is short and I hate winter..

Over the summer we went to Paris, Easter we did Disneyland Paris, and we’ve got a few nights in the Lakes in October. We have stressful jobs, have had a crap year (bereavement) and we enjoy travelling, planning holidays and having something to look forward to. We have two teens and they don’t want to be away from mates for long, but they can tolerate our company for 5 nights (as long as there’s wifi).

Yep, we do this more or less. We booked a long weekend next month whilst sat on the plane for our current trip away.

We do this, but has to be during school holidays so we try to do it smartly! Using bank holidays makes the weeks leave stretch, blessed to be private school so use the slightly extended hols to try to get cheaper flights/ fly on Sundays / odd hours etc. we’ve done 4 one week hols this year, have a 12 dayer in October half term and hope to book something for new year.
I work ridiculous hours, it’s immensely stressful, high pressure job which I enjoy, but, I try to balance being a good mum/ wife/ employee and I live in constant guilt! It’s a constant trade off. My holidays are my reset and connect with family time. I couldn’t do what I do without them.
I do not take a day off work where I am not going away somewhere.
i fine since covid and working from home even a day or two a week that home is no longer the haven it used to be!

I used to go on holiday every 6 weeks. If you can afford it then do it

We do about the same and it keeps us sane!

I actually think this is a fab idea; my 4 weeks away are usually between Easter and August, which makes September-March go very slowly.

I have only a week's holiday at a time so I can avoid long periods without one, not quite every 12 weeks but at least four a year. I intentionally don't have the week off between Christmas and New Year to get me extra days towards one of them.

A week off between Christmas and Easter say in February makes winter much better.

We go on holiday every school holiday. We manage it with annual leave by taking long weekends rather than a full week and making the most of inset days and bank holidays to go slightly out of term time. I find a 4-day break still feels like a week when you look back on it. We're on minimum wage and I'm part-time so we're not talking luxury AI, often it's a caravan holiday by train but just some fresh air by the beach and a feeling of adventure seems to help break up daily life. For me planning and looking forward to a holiday is a big part of the escapism so I do a lot of holiday planning as a mental break. I won't try to justify it by saying I'm in a high pressure job, I'm really not, my holidays are more to add interest to my life rather than alleviate stress.

Yes but avoiding flying more than once a year. Mostly one-nights in the uk, though!

My dh is pushing to do this, I think twice a year is enough with an occasional overnight somewhere here. We either go abroad at Easter or skiing in Feb, usually alternating, and two weeks in Summer. He wants another break around New Years and again maybe around Halloween. Holidays in this country don't count he says but I disagree. This year I have a short flight to visit family in October and dh is doing something similar in Nov. I have a girls weekend in Feb a few hours drive away, dh has a lads weekend too and we both go in March to a holiday home with friends. I find it overwhelming already as I am constantly stressing about packing and organising the next thing with 3 kids to manage but dh lives for the next break.

We have a nice house and a good life here, I dont know why we can't ever relax here a bit. It causes conflict in our marriage to be honest.

My Aunty does this, although she also takes a few months off in summer. Mostly camping trip. I think she's living the dream

People reading this thread may think it's always v. expensive to take holidays, it really isn't. I manage cheap holidays by staying in hostels or basic hotels and relying on tourist buses to explore the area. needs planning in advance but that's ok😊👍

Does she use a campervan or tent ?

Tents and are they call lodges? Sorry I hate camping so I have no idea, but I love holidays 🙂

She also only works 3 days a week. I'm so jealous of her lifestyle

Fair enough

I'd do it if I was a teacher

We always have something planned and on the horizon to look forward to.

I prefer a mixture of a few weekend breaks and a couple of longer breaks. I think just taking a week at a time limits what you can do and also doesn’t always give you enough time to unwind - especially if you count a bit of time lost to travel and the stress/tiredness that comes along with it.

This year we had one two week break in March and will be going away for just over three weeks in November.

Across the year we have had or will have a few shorter breaks mostly by train - two or three weekends with friends and two visiting family. Probably will add one weekend with DH pre-Xmas to Xmas markets etc. Maybe Bruges via Eurostar.

Then the next big trip will be next March with three weeks off but not sure where yet. Might plan a weekend somewhere in Jan/Feb just to have something to look forward to in winter, somewhere we can drive or train to.

We both have good annual leave (I get 42.5 days including bank holidays). I usually have a couple of days I can take from working overtime in busy periods. And I work condensed hours so often don’t need to take leave for a long weekend, or might only need to take a day off. Often long weekends are planned around bank holidays too. We have plenty disposable income too.

This year we did
6 nights Europe ski feb with kids
7 nights Europe hot July with kids
2 nights uk early august no kids
1 night uk late august no kids
Got
4 nights uk October no kids
2 night dec Scotland no kids

But youngest is nearly 17 and eldest nearly 19

I also love holidays and since turning 50 and gaining much more confidence in being single at last, I love holidays on my own. I have no kids, no partner, no responsibilities at home (apart from my lovely cat who gets spoilt by the cat sitter when I go away!).
I work in a stressful busy job, I have had a few health problems so I am keen to get out and about as much as I can while I can. Life is too short.
I read that it is better for you to have frequent shorter breaks than one big long break. I enjoy my home very much when I come home so I don't feel I am running away.
The weather does affect my mood a lot in the UK and I speak a few languages so I love travelling and chatting to locals/eavesdropping on café conversations/being immersed in the culture.
I have been to Spain 3 times this year and travelling to Sardinia for some last bit of sunshine in October.
I also don't like Christmas much (parents both passed away, difficult relationship with my brother) so after braving it last year - going away on my own for Christmas - I have already booked Gran Canaria for this Christmas.

I love your post because you're holidaying just for yourself. I love that idea.

I think often, most of us spend our lives pleasing or doing for others.
If we could, we should follow your example, even just now and again 😊

Agree sounds like you have some lovely plans @2023Tobeornottobe and it’s so nice to be able to recognise what works for you and do things for your own well-being.

My sister and BIL both have extremely high stress, high pressure, high paid jobs. They both genuinely love their jobs, but at the same time it's bloody difficult. They are completely open about the fact that one of the reasons they can do it, and enjoy it, is that it gives them the financial security not just to live a nice life day-to-day but also to go away on regular breaks which is something they enjoy AND that makes the work more bearable. Good for them I say.

DH and I have never had that sort of money and we have a more fluid work schedule anyway, but in the years we've had the money for 2-3 breaks, even if small ones, we've really felt the difference.

We try to have 4 full weeks and maybe a couple of weekends but always in the UK. This year we've had/booked weeks in April, October & November and a long weekend in August but still have enough leave to book another break (I get extra leave days due to long service, over 20 years). We don't often do a fortnight as would much rather have 2 separate holidays. I love my job and home but also love going away.

I think every 12 weeks is too frequent. All that packing, unpacking, airport security and jet lag. A break every 12 weeks sounds great, but sometimes a break at home is just as good.