4 Ways to Keep Your Vacation Going After You’re Back

After I returned from a recent family vacation, I was struck by just how much time my husband and I spend discussing our paper towel supply. Are levels getting dangerously low? Is it time to restock? Our recycling bin comes up a lot, too.

During our weeklong stay in Europe, we had actual conversations. We were chattier, more relaxed versions of ourselves. Vacations are not real life, of course, but still I wondered if there was anything we could do to keep that feeling going all year long.

Researchers have spotted connections between vacations and lower stress, a healthier heart rate and increased creativity. And there’s some evidence that those benefits can linger for weeks.

But research also suggests that they do wear off eventually, particularly if you have a high-stress job, said Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science at the University of California. But, she added, you can build in habits to prolong that well-being.

Here’s how to do it.

Do a “mini version” of your favorite thing.

The first step, Dr. Pressman said, is to reflect on your vacation: What did you love doing the most? Was it family dinners with great conversations? Was it daily naps?

Then, she said, “try to find a mini version of that.” If you loved biking on vacation, she said, start with a weekly bike ride. If you loved exploring, she said, meet a friend in a new town or neighborhood and act like a tourist.

I told Dr. Pressman that when I was on vacation, I loved reading novels during the day. After our chat, I’ve been waking up a few minutes earlier and reading instead of reaching for my phone. Right now I’m immersed in a thriller, which makes me more eager to get up.

Get outside.

Some people spend more time outdoors on their vacations, and the research is robust that green spaces provide health benefits galore.

If you miss being outside, aim for “snackable bits of nature” near your home, said John Zelenski, professor of psychology of Carleton University in Ottawa and director of its Happiness Laboratory.

Go to a park for a few minutes or hang a bird feeder, he said. (After I became enthralled by the hummingbirds in Costa Rica, I realized that New Jersey had them, too. I hung some feeders, which bring me daily joy.)

For his part, Dr. Zelenski likes going on remote camping trips and that’s driven his interest in urban nature, he said. “I’m sometimes amazed at what animals can be seen in downtown Ottawa.”

Or, while the weather permits, see if you can take any indoor activities, like a weekly meal with friends, outside, said Dr. Pressman.

Engage your senses.

If certain scents, tastes or sounds lifted your spirits on vacation, try to replicate them at home, said Pearl Katz, author of “Everyday Rituals: The Liberating Power of Our Routines.”

Cook a meal that you loved on vacation or play some local music that you heard, she said. My colleague likes to play bossa nova when it rains, which instantly takes her back to the months she spent in Brazil.

Scent is “very powerful,” Dr. Katz added. If you stayed in a place where, for example, lavender grew, you could buy a plant at home, she said. Taking a deep sniff, she said, can conjure up visceral memories of where you were, or the happiness and freedom you felt. “It brings back a whole panoply of things,” she said.

Display a memento.

Don’t discount the value of souvenirs. They can have a lasting effect on our happiness, said Jeff Galak, an associate professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. In fact, his research has found that items with high sentimental value can bring us sustained happiness.

Dr. Galak and his partner bring home a magnet from every trip they take, and put it on the dishwasher because their fridge isn’t magnetic. He doesn’t notice the magnets every time he loads plates, he said, but he gets a hit of pleasure when he does: “Like, ‘Oh, San Francisco, that was a great trip.’”

I loved an idea that Priya Parker, author of “The Art of Gathering,” recently posted on Instagram. She went on a road trip with her 9-year-old son and brought two blank sketchbooks and a set of pens. When they stopped at places, she and her son would sit and draw together.

I am going to bring sketchbooks on my next trip. Until then, my husband and I have made a pact that we’re going to spend 10 minutes a day talking about anything other than paper towels.

Your dating “yellow flags.”

Two weeks ago, I wrote about “yellow flags” that dating experts watch out for. Hundreds of you wrote in to share your own. Here are three, among many, that I loved.

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When he won’t introduce you to any of his friends or family, and every get together has to be “one-on-one.” — Doug, Ontario

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If they tell you how you should feel about something rather than accepting your experience. If this happens a lot, it could be that they go through life telling rather than listening. — Craig, California

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Here’s a yellow flag that many might see as a green: The daily “Good morning, Beautiful!” text from a man you’ve only just met. — Anna, New York

Even small amounts of alcohol affect your driving. Is the legal limit too high?

Drunk-driving deaths have risen in the United States in recent years. Experts say that the legal blood alcohol limit is too high, and point to Utah, where fatal car crashes fell 20 percent after the limit was lowered.

Read the article: How Much Alcohol Is Too Much for a Driver?

A new study finds that straight women have fewer orgasms than their partners do.

In an analysis of over 24,000 people, researchers found that this “orgasm gap” persists even with age and experience. Catherine Pearson asked experts how to close it.