This may seem like an odd thing to be writing about given I’ve just spent a wonderful week in Italy, but since I now don’t have anything planned until my trip to India in October, I am starting to get cabin fever already.
The problem with having a ‘secure’ job is that generally, your boss likes you to be there to, you know, work. That really puts paid to any idea of working from a beach or my hotel balcony like I have been doing the past week.
I figured since more and more people are going away less and less, either because they feel they can’t take the time away from work or they simply can’t afford it, I might share a few of my own tricks for feeling like you’ve had a holiday, even when you haven’t.
Before all that though, let me ask you a question. How do you feel right now?
I mean it. How do you feel? Be aware of your shoulders, your neck, your back – are they relaxed? You’ve relaxed them now though eh?!
So often we are completely unaware of our posture and how it affects us. Even as I write this I am continually checking that I’m relaxing my muscles, not so much that I fall off my chair (that would be embarrassing) but enough that I’m not giving energy to any residual stress.
It’s a tough thing to consciously relax yourself when you’re not, and that’s what I wanted to talk about today, because that’s what having a holiday means to me – chilling the fuck out and feeling rested and full of energy again.
So in case you haven’t got a holiday planned there are a few things you need to do. I’m not telling you to do them, you can stay stressed if you want, but this will help.
- Break your routine – The body gets used to routine, it gets steady and bored and predicts more of the same. If you change your routine up, in whatever way, you give the body and mind a change and this stimulates rejuvenation If you go out all the time, stay in or, even better, find yourself a day spa like the Mandarin in London (or your local gym if it’s got the sauna, steam room etc) and spend the evening pampering yourself. If you always spend your evenings in front of the TV, get yourself out and about – I recently joined City Socializer (more on that to follow) and it’s been great for getting me to do stuff I’d never normally do, and meet some lovely people in the process.
- Get a massage / go see a physio – can’t stress this enough. Get your body back in order and you will feel like you slept for 12hrs straight. If you can’t afford one, check whether your health insurance covers physio or enquire at your local college – most beauty colleges (or local colleges running beauty courses) need volunteers and you can get a really cheap massage by a supervised trainee.
- Try a new food or a holiday favourite – throw a dinner party or go to a new restaurant – taste can have an amazing effect on the mind and psyche – if you choose a food you normally only have on holiday, your mind will associate it with rest and relaxation and accommodate those feelings for you.
- Buy new beauty products – I have no idea why this works but buying new makeup or ‘smellies’ always ends up making me feel a million times better when I have to get up and go to work – try going to a big department store first thing in the morning and spend time talking to the consultant. The good ones will demo the products on you and give you a mini make over. You can offset the cost against any products you buy and they’ll normally give you samples too.
- Get Reiki – I’ve got a few articles on here about Reiki – essentially it’s a deep energetic healing treatment. It can be done distantly but if you can find someone to do it in person it’s well worth it. You come out feeling like you’ve been wrapped in a blanket and cuddled for 45mins (you haven’t – you stay fully clothed and the therapist won’t touch you).
So there you have it. These might seem like simplest little things but if you’ve not got a holiday coming up you need to look after yourself to prevent burn out. Notice I didn’t actually put yoga on the list above, because you should ALWAYS do yoga. Everyday. Do it. Do it. Do it. Can’t stress that enough.
Anyway, enjoy your week, make it work for you and whatever you do, appreciate the time you have been given.
Lots of love,
Emma x