You ever notice how when you are planning a trip you seem to be just a tiny bit (OK, a lot) happier?
Turns out planning trips actually has a demonstrable impact on your mood.
In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks.
I got this from a story on 10 things you can do to make yourself happier, backed by science.
There is some less happy news, in that the happiness bump seems to go away pretty much after you return… but we won’t talk about that part… forget I mentioned it.
The Danes are, according to a recent study, the happiest people on earth. They are second on the list of most vacation days (25 paid, plus 9 holidays). With that much time off, they must always have a vacation they are planning and so must be able to keep their vacation planning high stoked for longer. As soon as they get back, they are just a few weeks away from their next.
I think this is something to invest in.