It’s officially summer! The flip-flops have been dusted off and the aroma of sunscreen wafts through warm days. Whether you have some time away from work either here in the UK or abroad, all of us want to have a well-deserved and relaxing holiday. When we finally have the chance to take a break, our first reaction is sometimes one of throwing caution to the wind and letting it all go. However, this tendency for excess sometimes means that we end up feeling worse physically, mentally and emotionally when we come back – and feeling like we need another holiday. Can we actually be healthy and still enjoy our holiday? It’s just about a little bit of balance – the right thing at the right time in the right amount for every part of you. Here are a few ways to achieve that. (Photo: Musmus Culus/Getty/Digital Vision Vectors)

Physical: Sleep

It’s tempting on holiday to stay up late every night with no alarm clock set, yet this is one of the worst things you could do. Our bodies have a system that regulates our sleep-wake cycle called our circadian rhythm. It repeats every 24 hours and all of our hormones and chemical messengers are set to follow this. Also keep in mind that most adults need about seven to nine hours of good quality sleep. If you find it difficult to settle in a new place, take an eye pillow to block out any light, take gentle music or an audiobook or even a white noise track. Research whether the holiday resort has comfy beds and is quiet at night, and try to stick to a similar time of waking and sleeping. (Photo: AleksandarNakic/Getty/E+)

Physical: Stay active

Normal life doesn’t always allow us to be as active as we would wish, with lots of hours behind desks or facing screens. Holidays can actually be the perfect opportunity to reset this and to get active. While you’re exploring your new location, can you walk or get public transport? Can you take the stairs to your hotel room or enjoy the new scenery on an early morning walk or evening stroll? If you are somewhere with a swimming pool or near the sea, then swim as much as you can. Is there an exciting hike to a new place? Make sure you take good footwear, know your limitations and take lots of water. Why not start a new activity – a bit of yoga or a stretching routine? (Photo: Hugh R Hastings/Getty)

Physical: Hydrate

Did you know that about 80 per cent of your brain and 60 per cent of our bodies are made up of water? It’s essential to stay hydrated, especially in a hot climate, what with more exercise and drinking alcohol. Use a water bottle with marked volumes on it for each hour, alternate every alcoholic drink you have with water and choose “long drinks” that have a greater volume of mixer to alcohol. (Photo: Getty)

Physical: Protect your skin

Sunburn increases skin cancer risk and so it’s essential to wear a high-factor sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 30 to protect against UVB rays and at least a four-star UVA protection. Stay out of the sun when it is at its strongest, wear a hat and sunglasses and reapply sunscreen regularly, especially after swimming. This advice applies in the UK too. (Photo: Roberto Sysa Moiola Photographer/Getty)

Physical: Alcohol

There is no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking to the guidelines of no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over three days or more, can help reduce the risk to your health. If you do drink, then make sure you are staying hydrated, avoid binge-drinking, make sure you are with other people so you are safe, don’t accept drinks from other people, keep an eye on them to avoid any risk of spiking and avoid getting into any hazardous situations as a result of being drunk. It isn’t a great holiday if you wake up with a hangover. (Photo: Courtneyk/Getty)

Physical: Eat well

It is tempting to treat yourself to lots of starchy, sugary and sweet things. Again, this comes down to balance, and in moderation there is nothing wrong with this. Try to remember to eat fruit and vegetables as well as the other stuff. One way to do this without it seeming dull is to try local varieties of food for the first time. Eating is a particularly social activity, especially on holiday, so eating with others can be a great way of trying new and healthy things. (Photo: Mas Bro/500px/Getty)

Physical: Be prepared

If you are going away, then make sure you prepare well. Get a first aid kit together, order any prescription medication you might need and sort out any vaccinations, think about toiletries, tampons, spare contact lenses or glasses and get all of these in advance. Make sure you find out where the local medical facility or doctor or pharmacy is before your trip or when you arrive, and ensure you have travel insurance sorted. (Photo: Viktoriya Skorikova/Getty/Moment RF)

Mental: Time for yourself

Time off work and away from daily routines gives us a chance for self-care, to do all the things we usually do but with more time, or to do the things we neglect. Moisturise, do your nails, have a long shower, exfoliate, take time choosing what to wear, dress up for an evening out and do the things that make you feel good about yourself. (Photo: Anchiy/Getty/E+)

Mental: Put your worries away

You may be on the most beautiful beach in the most picture-perfect place, but if you are mentally still in your work email inbox you are not going to feel the benefits. Before you go away, try to do what you can to “tidy up” work projects or college assignments, delegate to others and put in place boundaries around being contacted. It can be more difficult if we have family or caring responsibilities, but looking for support networks can help. Set up a time each day when you do look at work things if you have to, when you do turn your phone on, or call someone to check in with them, so you have a structure and boundary around this. Make this your “worry” or “activity” time and then keep the rest of the time to try to relax. (Photo: Carles Navarro Parcerisas/Getty)

Mental: Time with others

Social connection makes us feel good. When we truly and meaningfully connect with others we get a release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, which boost our mood as well as reducing our stress levels. When we are doing “normal life” we often don’t really engage properly; we don’t listen actively because there are a million and one things to do and our relationships suffer. Holidays are the perfect time to reset relationships – to enjoy each other again, to have fun, to make memories, to talk about what really matters and to make plans. (Photo: Getty)

Mental: Read

Stories take us away from real life – they spark our imagination and increase our knowledge and empathy for others. We get taken to different worlds in different times and we stimulate different zones of our brains. Take a book or audiobook away with you and make a promise that you will read for a section of your day. It’s a great habit you can keep up when you return. (Photo: SolStock/Getty/E+)

Mental: Play

Children are “allowed” to play, but as adults we get the message that we shouldn’t any more. Don’t listen to this – take mini board games, a pack of cards, make up games in the swimming pool or at the breakfast table. Creativity and game-playing help us bond, help us relax and take us away from our worries. (Photo: AFP/Getty)

Mental: Listen to music

Listening to music lights up so many different parts of our brains, especially the emotional zones in our brain, the parts that interpret lyrics and our higher-functioning centres. Music reduces our stress levels and can either give us more energy or calm us down, depending on what type we listen to and how we want to feel. Listen to new music on holiday and make a holiday playlist so that when you come back from your trip, just listening to it brings back those lovely memories. (Photo: Getty)

Mental: Take a break from devices

We can be glued to screens in our day-to-day lives. Being healthy on holiday means getting away from the virtual world and re-entering the real one. Doing this improves our sleep and concentration, reduces our anxiety and allows us to connect with others and the experiences around us on a deeper level. Silence your notifications or turn off your devices, leave them in your apartment or hotel room and see how you feel after a week or so. (Photo: miljko/Getty/E+)

Emotional: Embrace adventure

Variety is what makes life happy. Going to new places on holiday and experiencing new things can actually give us new energy and enthusiasm for our life. It can open up ideas about how we want to live and what changes we want to make in our daily lives. Even if you are on a staycation, you can still create adventure by going to new local places or trying a new activity or hobby. (Photo: Thomas Barwick/Getty/Digital Vision/Thomas M Barwick INC)

Emotional: Get curious

Learning about your new surroundings or thinking about how you could spend your time on holiday has been shown to be linked to better wellbeing and emotional health. Research has shown being curious results in a higher life satisfaction and a stronger sense of life purpose and meaning, as well as reducing the risk of depression and low mood. (Photo: Kryssia Campos/Getty/Moment RF)

Emotional: Be grateful

Having time away from work and routine allows us to appreciate what we have in life. Absence does make the heart fonder, and getting some perspective about the good things and the good people that you have in your life can foster a sense of gratitude. Spend five minutes each day on holiday thinking of five things you are grateful for, and you’ll find when you come home, you’ll feel better about everything. (Photo: champpixs/Getty)

Emotional: Reflect

If you have been facing problems or challenge in your life, or maybe had a big life event like a bereavement or relationship breakdown, then a holiday can really give you time and space to reflect on what has happened and how you feel. Take some time to process what has happened, to cry or talk it through with someone who you trust. This can bring clarity to your emotions. (Photo: Stephen Stringer/Getty)

Emotional: Reset

When you go on holiday, you have some space and time to do the things that are harder to prioritise when in normal life – exercise, people you love, hobbies, sleep. Write down three things that you have done that have helped you feel better while you’ve been on holiday, and three ways you can bring those habits back with you when you return so they last. (Photo: Westend61/Gemma Ferrando/Getty)

Emotional: Create memories

Make each and every moment of your holiday count. Take photos but not too many, take your time with everything and take each and every bit of fun, love and joy you can from it. By doing that you will create memories that will last and ones that can bring you that exact same joy when you are back in your normal life. (Photo: SolStock/Getty/E+)