After all the excitement of Easter and stress of the end of term, not to mention the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, it can be easy to see the holidays as just another task to tick off your list. So here’s a few tips for how you can emerge from the school holidays refreshed and relaxed.
1. Give Everyone, and Yourself, a Break
Give your family a break from the seemingly never ending schedule of school drop offs and pick-ups, homework, sport and all those activities that fill up term time. Make the most of this break in everyone’s schedule to enjoy some more down time. Say no to things. Clear your schedule and give everyone a rest. Or say yes to all the things you don’t usually have time to do. It’s up to you. Some people find a busy lifestyle draining and need the break. For others, it’s a chance to go away, catch up on jobs around the house or see friends. If you’re not sure how to know what you need, read on…
2. Listen to Your Inner Voice
For many of us, we are so busy trying to get through each day, we rarely give ourselves the space to tend to our inner needs. Take some time out, go sit somewhere quiet and peaceful. Take a few deep breaths and give your nervous system time to slow down. When you feel your heart rate slow and your body feels more relaxed, ask yourself, ‘what do I need right now?’ Let the question sit with you for a few minutes. Do you need a few days off? A hug from someone you care about? A few days away? Do you need to indulge yourself or enjoy your favourite pastime? Listening to your inner voice and giving yourself what you need can not only help you unwind but it will help invigorate you too.
3. Think Outside the Box
Not everyone will get the chance to see family and friends face to face during the holidays, so if that includes you or someone you care about, technology can make a real difference. Why not plan a virtual get together? Get in touch beforehand and organise to cook the same meal, then Facetime or Zoom each other on the day so you can enjoy the meal together. Or why not make videos to share with friend and family. Planning, shooting and editing a few videos will keep the kids busy too!
4. Stay Connected
We may be enjoying more freedoms than many other places in the world right now so why not use the opportunity to reach out to family and friends you haven’t spoken to for a while and let them know you’re thinking about them? Letting people know you care and having a good catch up, especially with people still in lockdown, can really make a difference to their mental health and overall wellbeing. And who doesn’t enjoy a nice cuppa and a good natter?
I hope you have a wonderfully stress-free holidays.
Kirrilly
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