To enjoy life more, embrace anticipation

Holly Burns

ALLE Pierce knows how to plan a vacation. A few months out, she “goes on a crazy Google spree”, constructing a spreadsheet of all the things she wants to do and see. She scrutinises the menus of restaurants she’s planning to visit. She uses a picture of the destination as her phone’s lock screen image and downloads a countdown app.

“What’s so exciting about a trip is the anticipation before it,” said Ms Pierce, the founder of a luxury travel company called Gals Abroad Getaways, which plans group trips for women. Experts say she’s probably right. Numerous studies suggest that having something to look forward to boosts your mood and lowers your stress.