The surprising but simple secrets to making the most of your vacation that will stop you feeling as if you've wasted it

An expert has revealed the surprising but simple secrets to making the most of your vacation without feeling as if you've wasted it. 

Going on vacation is supposed to be a time spent relaxing and taking a break from the busy day-to-day routine of work and life tasks.

However, many travelers make the mistake of packing far too much into their trips in an effort to make the most of it and end up missing out on the rest and relaxation that a vacation should offer. 

Jeff Galak, a consumer behavior and marketing researcher, spent the past two decades studying what makes people happy with what they consume, and shared his research with the Wall Street Journal. 

Galak suggests that his findings can be applied to vacation experiences to help travelers find the joy in their time away - and he admits his advice may be surprising. 

Galak says that a main reason that vacations fall flat is because enjoyment declines with time - so packing in as much time spent doing your 'favorite activities' can actually become unenjoyable and tedious (Pictured: A luxury resort in the Caribbean)

First of all, Galak advises that you should simply 'do less'. 

If you love to hike - you might feel compelled to hike as much as possible on your trip. The same can be applied to going to the beach or visiting museums. 

Instead of 'making the most' of your vacation time by packing your itinerary to the brim with your favorite activities, it is more valuable to do the things you enjoy less so that you value them more - and still have down time to rest and relax. 

Galak says that a main reason that vacations fall flat is because enjoyment declines with time - so packing in as much time spent doing your 'favorite activities' can actually become less enjoyable and tedious. 

He says that this notion can be applied to all that we as humans enjoy. For example - with chocolate cake the first bite is incredible, but the last bite is merely tasty and your stomach probably hurts. 

Laying on the beach and basking in the sun feels great at first, but soon you are bored, overheating and covered in sand. 

Jeff Galak, a consumer behavior and marketing researcher, spent the past two decades studying what makes people happy with what they consume

In order to combat the inevitable decline of enjoyment in 'joyful' activities, Galak suggests you simply do less. 

He says you can accomplish 'doing less' in three ways: quantity, variety and timing. 

In terms of quantity, it's important to leave on a high note instead of calling it a day once the activity has already begun a downward spiral towards unenjoyable. This way, you will only have positive memories of your experiences.

For variety when organizing the itinerary for your trip, don't stick to one thing, switch it up and try a range of different activities and experiences even within the same day.

You could hike in the morning and lay on the beach in the afternoon, or vice versa. This way there is less of a chance that your enjoyment of one single activity will drop.

With timing - Galak suggests that vacationers take breaks from activities - even when they're enjoyable - to reset the enjoyment. 

He offers the example of a massage, and advises that you ask for a break in the middle of your massage because, even though you will have a few minutes less of massage time - the overall experience will be more enjoyable in general.

Galak advises that you should simply 'do less'. If you love to hike - you might feel compelled to hike as much as possible on your trip. The same can be applied to going to the beach or visiting museums (Pictured: a hiking trail in Boulder, Colorado)

Another piece of advice that Galak offers travelers is to limit your choices. 

He says that, to avoid the stress of 'choice overload' in planning, once you find a good option for a hotel or a flight to simply book it before becoming overwhelmed by the many different choices. 

The expert also advises travelers to do something uncomfortable during vacations - because it will be a memorable unique experience, as opposed to choosing the straightforward and safe option. 

Instead of hopping in a taxi, navigate the public transportation system - or leave your phone in the hotel while you explore the city to really get to know it without the safety of mapping apps and search engines. 

Overall, Galak says that a vacation will be more enjoyable you plan less, do less of what you like, take breaks from enjoying yourself and actively choose to do things that will make you uncomfortable - even though all of these things are counterintuitive.