If your holiday season was anything like mine, then I need another holiday. By the time December arrives, we are so looking forward to the holidays. Christmas seems to be a period of rest. Once January arrives, many parents face the dilemma of having to get back to work and entertain children until the end of the school holidays.
If you add visiting your home town (overseas) or if any relative is visiting your family, the excitement is double. So can the recovery process be.
I have had such a time where I partied hard and forgot to rest because the time with my family was short. Hence my lack of article in January.
Here are five lessons I learnt.
Lesson #1:
It is beautiful to spend time with family. I want to prioritise this precious time as I get older and realise that life is just unpredictable.
Lesson #2:
Seek help when you need it. This can be with household chores or with children. If your body is telling you that you need to give yourself a break (mentally and/or physically), listen to it. Options are many to outsource tasks. Go for routine check ups. As you get older this will help keep your body is top condition.
Lesson #3:
Do something fun. We were not born just to work 8 hours a day for most of our lives. We need to infuse FUN into our lives wherever possible. In January, I had so much fun with my family doing a Sip & paint, visiting beaches and travelling. As I move forward with the rest of the year, I want to infuse fun as a regular part of my life.
Lesson #4:
Take a break when you need it. Sometimes when you are super tired, you can just sit staring at the computer and not get anything done. Well, if you are busy at work, then you need to do your tasks. But later that evening, try to go to bed early. Refresh your body and mind over the weekend. You only have one body in this life time and it is up to you to take care of it.
Lesson #5:
Connect with your body through breathwork. There are many breathing techniques in yoga. One to cool your body, one to heat it, one to balance breath and so on. But in the simplest of terms, the best way to connect with your body is to sit with your eyes closed and notice your breath. Once you sit there and breathe a few breaths, you will notice your breath becoming balanced and change will happen within your body.
I am still in this recovery phase, but I can see that as I slowly connect with my body (often through yoga and breathwork), I am feeling refreshed and finding inspiration for the rest of the year.
Allow yourself to rest and refresh as you need through this year. Have a wonderful 2023!
