There’s More Time Than You Think: A Thoughtful Way to Plan Your Annual Leave in 2026
- Miranda Blaas-Cousins
- Jan 13
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
January has a habit of feeling long.
The excitement of December has faded, the diary looks a little sparse and suddenly we’re back to the daily grind - work, school runs, lists that never seem to get shorter. Life feels busy again very quickly - and somewhere in that busyness sits a familiar thought: there’s never enough time.
It’s often this feeling - of being busy, tired and a little boxed in - that leads people to quietly look ahead in January. Not to do more, but to find something to look forward to.
When days feel full but the diary looks oddly empty, it’s easy to assume there simply isn’t enough time. And yet, the calendar tells a different story.
How much time off do we actually have?
It's more than you think.
It may come as a surprise, but the average full-time worker in the UK has around 132 days off each year, once you include weekends, bank holidays and annual leave.
And yet many of us still feel short of time.
The issue isn’t the number of days available - it’s how those days are broken up. A long weekend here. A couple of days there. Enough to pause perhaps, but rarely enough to properly unwind.
And while this is true most years, some calendars are simply more generous than others.
The simple idea: longer breaks, fewer leave days.
When a little foresight makes a big difference.
With a little planning, time can be allowed to gather rather than scatter - creating longer more spacious breaks without using more annual leave.
It’s simply about placing annual leave around bank holidays so that your time off feels expansive rather than hurried. Longer breaks give your nervous system a chance to settle. You stop counting down the days.
And in 2026, there are a few moments where this works particularly well.
Dates to book off in 2026
(No calendar required)
Here are four examples where thoughtful timing makes a noticeable difference:
Easter 2026
Take: 8 days annual leave
Enjoy: 16 consecutive days off.
How: Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April & Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April
Early May Bank Holiday 2026
Take: 4 days annual leave
Enjoy: 9 consecutive days off.
How: Tuesday 5 May to Friday 8 May
Late May Bank Holiday 2026
Take: 4 days annual leave
Enjoy: 9 consecutive days off.
How: Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May
August Bank Holiday 2026
Take: 4 days annual leave
Enjoy: 9 consecutive days off.
How: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 8 September
For working parents a bonus, depending on term dates, you may actually have a few days to relax without the kids!
Christmas & New Year 2026
Take: 7 days annual leave
Enjoy: 16 consecutive days off.
How: Monday 21 December to Thursday 24 December &
Tuesday 29 December to Thursday 31 December
It's a rare opportunity for a long, unhurried end to the year - and a softer beginning to the next.
So what do you do with that extra time?
When time off becomes something you can sink into.
For many, the desire for a longer break comes from the same place as the exhaustion itself.
Short breaks can feel like they need managing. Days are packed. There’s a sense of making the most of every hour because time feels limited. You arrive needing rest, but still feel slightly rushed. It’s often this constant cramming that creates a craving for a different kind of break - one that feels spacious rather than scheduled. Something that offers a genuine change of pace, not just a change of scenery. This is where having more time begins to matter.
The real benefit of longer breaks isn’t what you do — it’s how you begin to feel once you stop doing.
Somewhere around day three or four, something shifts. Sleep deepens. Breathing slows. Your thoughts feel less crowded. You’re no longer counting down the days — you’re simply in them.
Why glamping suit longer breaks so well.
Simple living, deeper rest.
Staying somewhere immersed in nature - whether in a luxury glamping tipi, a cabin, yurt or another simple structure - can help that shift happen more quickly. The unfamiliar setting provides a sense of novelty, while the simplicity of the environment encourages a gentler rhythm from the start.
As British Travel Journal wrote after a short stay with us:
“After just 48 hours at HARTA, I have slowed down, and genuinely feel lighter, with a renewed sense of creative energy. It’s been just the digital detox I’ve needed – a gentle reminder that life offline is worth exploring.”
And that’s after just two days.
Imagine how that feeling deepens when you’re not rushing back — when time stretches a little further, and there’s space to properly arrive, settle, and let go.
A longer stay might look like:
waking naturally, without an alarm
leisurely morning coffee outside
time spent outdoors with no agenda
soothing bubble baths and refreshing outdoor showers
a game of tennis followed by sauna time
evenings shaped by light, the weather or the fire
Nothing elaborate. Just enough time and space for rest to take hold.
Planning as a way of deepening time.
So days off feel fuller, not just longer.
Planning annual leave isn’t about filling your year with trips or becoming hyper-organised. Planning, in this sense, becomes a quiet form of intention - a way of allowing time to gather and deepen before it disappears into the year.
In a year like 2026, a little forethought can turn time off into something that actually restores you - rather than something you need to recover from.
So perhaps the question to sit with isn’t how many days you have.
It’s this: What would you like your days off to feel like this year?
Comments