As the northern hemisphere continues to endure the depths of winter, we cast our minds back to the summer holidays of last year. Busy holidays are often filled with enduring reflections, while others that are full of rest and relaxation can feel comparatively void of memories. So what should we be optimising for holidays - fun or memories?

In this week’s podcast, we discuss holiday optimisation. Should we be designing our holidays to maximise memory capture or to have an enjoyable time? We discuss memory models, Daniel Kahneman’s cognitive psychology approach to life satisfaction, the peak-end rule and how holidays can foster social bonds and affect wellbeing. Finally, we share our most memorable holidays and design our own perfect holiday.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Leisure and subjective well-being: A model of psychological mechanisms as mediating factor
- High income improves evaluation of life but not
emotional well-being
- If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right
- What promotes the happiness of vacationers?
- How emotions change over the course of a trip
- Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being
- Thinking, Fast and Slow

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