It’s easy to make the most of a long weekend or short holiday. To stretch it out as long as possible and maximize your time away.

I do this far too often.

Sure, pushing your trip to the final hour gives you the most time for experience. But the rush to unpack, clean up and get some sleep before going back to work ruins the good vibes brought home from the trip.

Instead, cut a trip short by a day, or tack on an extra vacation day at the end of a trip. Give yourself a day to unwind, rest, recover and sort everything out slowly, at a relaxed pace.

It’s not something I do every time — I only have so many vacation days — but when I do, I’m grateful for the free day to ease back into the world of work and routine.