Have a happy holiday and improve your brain

Take a holiday break this year that will improve your life in every area: mind, body, heart and soul. We, as humans, are so busy. We are constantly on the move. We don’t take the time to appreciate the moment because we are hoping from one thing to the next without any sort of time management. We are instantly gratified, and if we are not we just keep going until we find something that does the job and hits the spot. We have stopped stopping to smell the roses and started to photograph them instead. Are you living your life through moments or through a lens? We are sprinting through life, instead of walking to enjoy the majestic views. The holidays are a time to unwind, destress and improve your overall wellbeing. Holidays are a time to truly savor the moment. A time to rewire and simply be in the moment, be happy, and heal. The six best ways to improve your brain over the holidays are to unplug from work, enjoy yourself, spend time with your family, get plenty of sleep, learn a new skill, and adventure.

• UNPLUG FROM WORK

It would be unrealistic to work zero hours over the holiday. However, you can set a specific hour or two aside to get work done. Don’t carry around your phone throughout the day or worry about checking emails and answering calls. Wake up and dedicate one hour to work, or work for one hour in the afternoon. If you are not your own boss it is likely that you won’t need to do any work over vacation because someone else is held responsible, however, if you’re running your own small business or managing a group of people an hour a day will save you a lot of stress after the holidays.

• ENJOY YOURSELF

Enjoy yourself! Sleep in, make your bed, make coffee. Take time on the little things and you will grow to appreciate yourself and your time more. Wake up and pray, meditate, or journal. Thank God, yourself, or whoever it is you believe in for all the things you are and all the things you have. All the qualities you possess, your hard work, your motivation, your family, your home, every single thing that you usually just take for granted. Practice on turning your complaints into compliments. Work on changing your wording from “I have to get up and get ready for the day” to, “I get to get up and be productive today.” Enjoy your own company. Bask in the presence of yourself. Take some time to unwind and be an introvert. Draw energy from the qualities you possess.

• SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY

Go on a family day trip. Play ozzy osbourne free slot games with your kids. Listen to them. It is so easy to fall into a routine and ask the same simple questions everyday before and after school. It is easy to categorize family time as a chore. Did you ask your kids how they slept, what they want for breakfast, how their day was at school? Instead, try and ask something new. Ask them about their dreams, their biggest fears, the places they want to visit the most in the world. Get to know your kids for who they are instead of for what they do. Go make plates, go painting, bowling, to the beach. Find an activity you all can enjoy and grow a deeper bond with the people you love and live for.

• GET PLENTY OF SLEEP

Every single thing you do can be done better with the right amount of sleep. You are more cheerful, you remember better, you are more attentive, you have more patience. Your body flows better, you have more energy, your metabolism works better . every single thing is better with the proper rest. Over the holidays make it a priority to put your mental health first. Get those solid eight hours, who knows, you may be able to carry that over into your every day life as well.

• LEARN A NEW SKILL

Is there something you have always wanted to do but haven’t had time for? Now is the time to do it. Learn a new language, take up painting or writing, practice a sport, get certified in scuba diving. During the hustle and bustle of daily life it is a struggle to focus on you, but your brain will be healthier and you will be happier if you have a hobby and skill that is simply for your enjoyment. Find something that excites you and do it!

• ADVENTURE

Go outside. Hike the hills, find a new hidden gem in the forest. Go to that deserted beach. Nothing fuels the soul like a newfound nature spot. Appreciate the beauty that God has given you and bask in the moment without thinking about anything else. Adventures are fuel for life. You need them to move forward. You need them to feel alive. It is hard to adventure when you work five days a week and have a family to take care of, so don’t forget to get out and actually live life.

The holidays are known to be a stressful time, when in reality they should be the opposite of that. There is so much growth that can happen when you have time off work if you can just learn to make your time productive. Show appreciation for all the people and things in your life and make memories with those who matter.