3. The anticipation hit
For photographer Jonathan Stokes, one of the great pleasures of holidays and travel lies in the anticipation.
“I love that feeling of waking up somewhere new, not quite knowing where I am or what the day ahead holds,” he says. “I remember one trip on safari in South Africa, we arrived in the pitch-black in the middle of the night, and woke up with this incredible view over a plain filled with thousands of wildebeest! It’s the joy of the unexpected that makes travel so intoxicating – and the anticipation of all the adventures I’ll have.”
Having things to look forward to is hugely important, especially when we may be struggling in the present. Holidays aren’t just about the time we spend away; planning, anticipating, researching and daydreaming about the adventure ahead are all part of the experience, too.
It’s also been shown that holidays can actually affect our mood even before or after we get away, thanks to a phenomenon known as the ‘rosy view effect,’ reading, planning and watching videos about where we’re headed in the weeks or months before we actually go makes the positive feelings of the holiday itself last much longer.
Action for Happiness champions the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, with plenty of academic ammunition to back its theories up.