Written by Sabriya Dobbins, Project Passport Founder

I know you have likely read a ton of blogs about what, how, when, or even where you should pack for vacation but do any of them tell you what not to pack? Yes, there are some travel rules on what not to pack! And I am not talking about the dreaded airline TSA rules either.

I have traveled several times in my life and one thing that I learned is what is in my suitcase can really affect a vacation—for worse. Everything I want to bring won’t make the cut. What do I refuse to pack these days?

Work

In what dictionary do the words work and vacation EVER go together? Not one? I thought so. If you can so help it, please…please do not bring work stuff on the vacation. And that includes school work too! Whether you hate your job or you love it, it is still a job that takes brain power. The goal of a vacation is to recharge and regain that brain power—not re-burn it out. Refer back to my blog on why I left the corporate life to confirm. Enjoy these special moments because they are not always readily available.

Tip: Get all of your work organized and pre-completed before you leave and set up that “out of office email.” If you have no choice but to bring work, give yourself limits. Only X hours of job stuff a day and stick to it!

Hair Products

It is completely possible to ruin a vacation with hair products. Imagine you are rushing to blow dry your hair after a long day and you miss out on one of the most beautiful sunsets in all of France. Oh wait—that happened to me! Try to be minimalistic on hair products and that goes for the men too. Believe it or not, I refuse to pack a blow dryer or flat iron when I travel abroad (well at least 80% of the time). No one has time to obsess over hair while on vacation.

Tip: Google “air dry hair styles” and I guarantee you can find something awesome out there for all hair types.

Excess Electronics

Game devices, laptops, iPads, tablets and all of those other pesky electronics—leave them right where they are. You think that you are going to use them in your free time. Funny thing is, you won’t. Maybe you will use them on the flight but after that, forget about it. Stick to the phone and maybe one other device. One of the most stressful parts of traveling is keeping up with expensive items. Do you want to worry that someone will steal your tablet from the hotel or from your bag while traveling? Save yourself the pain and leave it home. Airplanes have great movie line ups for the long flights.

Tip: Have a 2-3 device rule. I usually only bring my phone and my Go-Pro camera.

A Negative Attitude

Yep, you can surely pack a bad attitude. Honestly, it will do NOTHING for you. Maybe you just had a breakup, got laid off, or had a rough week. This is your time to reflect and regain a sense of peace in the fact that good things will come your way. Keep a positive spirit on vacation because bad attitudes hurt your fellow travel mates and they make your hard-earned experience a dark mark in your memories rather than a happy memory.

Tip: Leave the negative energy back home! Step into the happy place at least for the time you are traveling.

Overall it is your choice to decide what you bring, but hey, do not make your life harder! Can you think of any other things to leave behind when packing for vacation?

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Project Passport is a mental empowerment retreat and event company created to help women connect with one another and gain the tools to improve their lives in the best way possible. Each retreat experience has a unique theme with carefully designed activities to help participants grow and experience transformation. We are making mental wellness the norm, one retreat at a time. Learn more at project-passport.com.