HOW TO BOOST YOUR WELL BEING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Ah August… finally some time off to relax! In a world where we are always “on”, making sure we spend some quality time completely distanced from our usual activities and habits can be a powerful way to regenerate ourselves both bodily, mentally, and emotionally. In fact, when we do things differently or change our environment, we enter into new flows of energy that can bring us into new states which provide the opportunity for our brain to create new connections that can generate within us new insights and creative ideas. To help you make the most of your holiday, we thought we’d share with you some tips to ensure you have a quality time while feeling regenerated. The worst thing you want to do is to come back from a holiday feeling like you need another one! To begin with, it’s good to put some planning in place. At 3SSENTIA, as I am sure you can imagine, we believe planning and time management are not only effective ways to reduce stress but are essential if we want to gain more freedom and a greater piece of mind. When we take the time to plan, we are making sure we clarify our aim, and when we have an aim, science shows us that our brain becomes more focused and effective. Taking the time to plan can save us time in the long run allowing more quality time for the things that matter most. If you leave everything to the last moment, chances are you will get stressed and nervous which are not exactly the kind of emotions you want to experience whilst on holiday! The second point is to allow “me time”. Me time can often be perceived as a selfish act as it only takes “me” in consideration. The truth is however that if we don’t take the time to look after ourselves and nurture our well being, how can we possibly be of value or good company to others around us? Me time is incredibly versatile. At 3ssentia, we like to divide activities into 3 important categories: Body, Mind, Heart. By taking this approach, you can really start looking at everything you do as an opportunity to enrich yourself. Whether that is reading a fascinating book, meditating, doing Tai Chi or painting, it’s important to find time to do these activities in your day (power of planning anyone?). And why not, perhaps consider activities that you never thought you’d do or that you always put off to really get that growth mindset going. Often doing things in new or unfamiliar environments can be a fun way of how to boost your energy and creativity. Third tip is quality sleep. Not being able to sleep because we feel stressed from life events is currently one of the biggest issues we are facing in today’s world. There is a bit of a myth about “great people don’t sleep” and while people might need different levels of sleep, no one can argue with the fact that good sleep is a fundamental aspect to feel good and energised. There are ways in which we can increase the quality of our sleep and one of the most powerful ways to do so is to reduce our screen time consumption just before going to bed. When we expose our eyes to bright screens, the brain is perceiving it as daylight and hence makes it difficult to go into sleep mode. Moreover, our over-stimulation from whatever content we may be consuming no matter its quality, makes it hard for our brain to switch off. Often the best thing to do is to allow some down time before getting into bed whether that is some mindful relaxation, meditation or just putting on some relaxing music. These, FYI, are also incredibly valuable stress management techniques that you can use throughout the day and not just before going into bed The Fourth tip is finding a balance between hedonism and self control. I know you may be thinking …come on man, I am on holiday! The thing is that if you really let go and overeat or over drink you are putting a lot of stress on your body which even though might feel good in the moment will actually make you feel exhausted by the end of the holiday. Now don’t get me wrong, having delicious meals or nights out are part of a great holiday however practicing mindfulness in our decisions can go a long way as delaying instant gratification has been proven to generate greater success in all areas of our life. After all, living full does not meet overindulging! And lastly, enjoying quality time with your dear ones. Just as me time is important, so is “we time”. In our daily life, we often get carried by events, we feel this continuous sense of self-imposed busyness. From this position, it often happens that we overlook the simplest things in life that give us the most pleasure such as having a quality conversation with people we care about. How many times have we put off a call with a friend or with a family member because we said we were busy with something else? Making time for our dear ones during our time off can be a wonderful opportunity not only to reconnect but actually to be there for them, to increase our levels of empathy and active listening… all powerful skills that can improve our personal growth and general well being. I am sure you might have heard some of these tips before but sometimes it’s important to reiterate some of these concepts so they can become cemented in our mind and drive us to wiser and happier decisions in the long run. I wish you a holiday full of joy, energy and balance. Live fully!