Quit saying that you need a break and actually take one, book a vacation and unwind.  Everyone needs to recharge every once in awhile, so if it’s time for you to vacation, here are some tips on how to unplug and get some much needed rest and relaxation.

If your first question when deciding where to vacation is “Can I get WiFi?” you are not in the minority.  In today’s world full of technology and the need to be connected, it’s almost impossible to truly unplug.  It seems impossible to disconnect from the outside world and really relax, but if you try, anything is possible. 

It’s a proven fact that the art of unwinding is actually very beneficial to our mental and physical health.  once you relax, your mind just works better, the synapses fire quicker and you are more mentally strong.  We all need this kind of break very once in awhile, so check out and get that mental rejuvenation.

These 8 practices are the best practices to unwinding and truly unplugging, so get to work relaxing. 

8 Ways to Make Your Vacation Time Totally Worth It

1. Stay within your budget.  Most people stress about money anyway, so you don’t need that added stress on vacation.  It’s best to stick to your budget and enjoy your time off, no need to think if you can afford it.  No need for a long getaway, instead, book a weekend trip and jam the relaxation into a shorter, cheaper period of time.             

2. Get yourself in order before you go.  Don’t leave town with unfinished business and let your mind really be free.  If you go on vacation thinking about the project you never finished or the work you still need to do, then you won’t ever actually relax.   Relax like a pro and leave your work and stress behind.  Stop thinking about work, it’s the whole reason you are on vacation.               

3. Remind yourself that, yes, you deserve a vacation.   Stop feeling guilty for taking your much needed time off, you deserve it.  Actually, you probably deserve much more, but out society only lets you take so much time off.  In Europe, most companies give employees months off so they can really relax. Can you imagine taking that much time off work? How relaxed would you be after?             

4. Don’t worry about what you should be doing.   Stop letting other’s expectations ruin your good time.  There is no manual on vacation and there is no set plan, if you want to do nothing, then dammit, do nothing.  Once again, this vacation is for your mental health, not your friends, or coworkers.   Take the time to enjoy doing whatever relaxes you and stop worrying about what other people think.             

5. If a problem pops up while you’re away, redirect it.   Most problems can wait for when you return from vacation, so just stop stressing. Of Course, if it’s an emergency, deal with it, any other case, push it to the back burner and deal with it when you check back into reality. 

6. Try meditating.   Meditating is the ultimate form of relaxation, so take a tip from some real chill people and try to meditate.  If anything, you will get some seriously valuable alone time.  If you don’t feel like meditating, cool, just go for a solo walk or sit alone in a dark room for a while.   

7. Set some connectivity ground rules—and abide by them!   My wife and I have a simple rule, no phones at the dinner table and this helps us connect with each other instead of social media.  Use this same rule on vacation but maybe expand it.  No phone during certain hours or during some activity.  These small steps will really help you set your boundaries and unplug.  Stop checking your voicemail and email, these are keeping you grounded to reality, let’s forget those for a little bit.         

8. Ease back into reality.   I hate coming home from a vacation and going back to work the next day.  I always give myself a day t recover and slowly work myself back into reality.  

Hopefully these tips help you unplug and really get that R & R that we all so dearly need.  A vacation should relax us and reset our brains so that when we do go back to work, we are ready to take on any task and perform at the best of our abilities.

Photos Courtesy of Fotlia, GettyImages, Knockturnal

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.