For most Lithuanians, feeling great is still just an aspiration, according to the National Well-being Index (NSI) initiated by “Eurovaistinė”. Only about one in five Lithuanian residents rate their well-being as very good. 50% of the population still live in a moderate welfare mode, and 3 out of 10 admit that they feel bad, according to a press release from the pharmacy network.
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“The research data clearly showed that good well-being is not just a matter of resting on weekends or summer holidays. It is mostly influenced by everyday things – sleep, physical health, fatigue, relationships, and the ability to balance work with rest. So even when going on vacation, internal tension does not necessarily disappear. That is why it is important not only to seek short-term relief but also to better understand where the real causes of poorer well-being lie. Only then can we more purposefully talk about prevention and practical ways to help feel better,” says Eglė Laskauskaitė, head of pharmaceutical operations.
Vacation formula: is 2 weeks enough?
How long to rest is very individual, but science can suggest answers. Psychotherapist D. Jakučionis says that if we live exhausted all year round – those two weeks of vacation will provide relief, but it is not the best rest regime.
“Science studies everything – even vacations. Researchers studying this field say that the peak of rest occurs on the eighth day of vacation. Studies also show that it is better to rest more often rather than longer,” reveals the specialist.
Therefore, according to him, a good rest strategy would be 4 days of rest every couple of months – of course, if circumstances allow. Such a formula should have more positive effects on both mental and physical health.
According to the psychotherapist, a sign that a person needs not just another vacation but deeper changes is often very simple – they no longer feel what it means to truly rest. If after rest days there is no lightness, energy, and sleep remains disturbed, and there is less and less desire to work – these are signals that something needs to change, and it is worth reviewing the entire balance of daily life.
“If we want to have energy for life, it is not enough just to wait for vacations. We need to take care of it every day – to monitor whether we get enough sleep, whether there is physical activity, whether the diet is healthy enough, whether we have an emotionally safe environment at home where we can talk about difficulties and joys. True rest comes when there are more support points in a person’s life than just escaping from routine,” says D. Jakučionis.
Why just going away is not enough
According to D. Jakučionis, the main condition for true rest is psychological detachment from work. If a person is away but still mentally solving work issues, they do not experience real recovery.
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“To rest, it is not enough just to be physically away from work. You also need to psychologically detach from it – not answer emails, messages, calls, not live with unfinished tasks or worry about deadlines. Therefore, activities that capture attention and distract from thinking about work greatly help true rest,” advises the psychotherapist.
It is also important not to forget the balance between movement and relaxation during vacations – just lying down does not always mean resting. So include a hike or at least a walk, sports, or active activities in your rest.
“Finally, the feeling of mastery also helps to disconnect. During vacations, you can not only do nothing but also experience or learn something that enriches you: whether it is cooking, a new skill, or creative activity. Such experiences help switch off from work thoughts and remind us that life is not just a to-do list,” says D. Jakučionis.
Common mistakes when trying to “catch up on rest”
Although summer rest is often romanticized, the psychotherapist says that people often turn it into another project. “You ‘have to’ see all the sights, visit all relatives, meet everyone’s expectations, not forget beautiful photos, and return – definitely with a story that the time was used to the fullest.
“People often do not allow themselves to truly slow down. They set many expectations for vacations, want to see, do, and experience as much as possible. Added to this are lack of sleep, alcohol, and too little real relaxation. Another mistake is the assumption that everything must go exactly according to plan. High expectations sometimes cause great disappointment – so it is best to leave room for improvisation. After all, often something unplanned can bring even more pleasant impressions than a completed item,” says D. Jakučionis.
He states that for some people, rest is disturbed by the fact that they do not control their vacation plans at all. For some, this works because they trust their friends or relatives, but others need to decide for themselves what to do and where to go. So rest becomes better quality when it matches not an idealized vacation picture but the real needs of the person.
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