holidays – Crisbie Coach

Festive Stress: 5 Tips to Embrace the Holidays Season

The joy of Christmas brings back cherished memories from my childhood, eagerly awaiting the midnight unveiling of presents with my family. As an expat, returning home during the festive season allows me to share this serene time with loved ones. However, the holidays can also become stressful, from last-minute gift shopping to preparing elaborate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals.

Here are five tips to maintain a positive mindset and truly savor the holiday season.

Connect with Loved Ones: Despite the distance, staying in touch with family and friends back home is crucial. A simple phone call or a few minutes of virtual conversation can make a significant difference, lifting both your spirits and theirs. Don’t hesitate to reach out – it’s a meaningful way to share the festive joy, and you won’t feel guilty about missing out.
Embrace New Traditions: Adjusting to new holiday traditions may evoke mixed emotions, creating an emotional struggle. Release yourself from excessive pressure and strive to embrace the new while preserving a sense of tradition in your current surroundings. Finding this balance can contribute to a more fulfilling holiday experience.
Resist Media Pressures: The media bombards us with images of the ‘perfect’ holiday season, fostering unrealistic expectations that can lead to emotional and financial stress. Avoid succumbing to these pressures and steer clear of comparing your celebration to idealized depictions. Remember, the essence of the holidays lies in genuine joy and connection, not unrealistic standards.
Seek Emotional Support: For those facing challenging situations like grief, loss, or relationship struggles, the holiday season can intensify emotional stress. Acknowledge your feelings and don’t hesitate to seek support from specialists or counseling services. Analyzing your emotions and coping with overwhelming struggles can make the season more manageable.
Find Your Personal Balance: Reflect on what truly matters to you. Whether you choose to visit relatives abroad or celebrate in your host country, align your decisions with your personal priorities and needs. Striking the right balance is essential for your mental well-being, ensuring a holiday season that resonates with your individual preferences.

Wishing you a joyful and stress-free holiday season! May these tips empower you to embrace the festivities with a positive mindset, creating lasting memories during this special time of the year.

Easter at home? Don’t worry and try these 10 ideas to enjoy your free time

assorted color of candies on white ceramic bowl

Going on vacation is very important for your physical and mental health. You should think about taking rest periods during Easter even without being able to travel.

When you work you look forward to the weekend but it is not enough time to fully recharge. To be able to really disconnect from work you need more time.

Vacations are a period of time that we all need, as much as we need to sleep, eat, drink, if we want to stay healthy.

Vacations allow us to recover and when we come back, we often feel better, full of energy and even more creative.

It does not matter whether you go on vacation or not. The main thing is that you can rest and put aside your daily worries. Choose what to do, with whom and when to do it. Not everyone likes travelling. Some like to have time to read more, do more physical activity, and spend time outdoors. Others like to take small hikes, without straying too far from home. Some people enjoy long trips, some others like only short ones.

There are also people who do not like being at home. They do not know what to do, they get bored, they do not want to tidy up the house, and they think about many things, as if they were working. But they would enjoy to get to know new places, or return to places they have loved before.

Whatever you prefer, if you have to stay at home during this Easter, try these tips:

1. Don’t read professional emails;

2. Do little housework;

3. Establish rules and times for being at the computer or television (both for you and your children, if you have any);

4. Look for new places to discover in your neighbourhood;

5. Spend time in nature because nature is a source of energy;

6. Make a list of what you would normally do on vacation;

7. Organize a movie marathon with friends and discuss with them to find out which ones you all liked the most;

8. You can do the same thing with a book. Choose with your friends a book you all read. Then, gather together to comment on it;

9. Why don’t you start with that hobby you have been thinking about for a long?

10. And, above all, indulge yourself by buying some chocolate (it’s Easter, the best moment to eat it)!

Have you decided what to do today?

Ideas to Try out in Your Free Time

To recharge your batteries, you do not need to go to an exotic place, do a daring trekking, or organize a party with a thousand guests (by the way, this is not the case considering the new variant of Covid.) There are many activities you can explore. Here are some ideas to try out in your free time.

Free time, it speaks for itself, is a time during which you do not do the usual things and you can plan your day without too many constraints or obligations. It is a unique opportunity to listen to your needs, without an agenda to follow, to enjoy and savour your moments of freedom that can allow you to take better care of yourself.

Vacations are certainly a panacea to authorize you to do something you have not had the time or energy to do before.

However, decelerate, take moments to listen to yourself, live the present moment, relearn to live at the rhythm of your body, listen to your heartbeat, do relaxing, creative or spiritual activities are things you can do also on weekends.

Starting today, I’ll be posting from time to time ideas to try out in your spare time.

Let’s start.

Write a song, a poem or a letter. Write a song, a poem or a letter addressed to yourself telling something about your life, or your emotions, or what comes to your mind, no matter the topic. In addition, if you can write and play music, why don’t you try also to compose something for the text you have prepared? Then, when you feel confident, try making a great video to share with friends!
Discover a town or a village near your place that you have never visited. Sometimes we don’t think about the treasures hiding close to where we live. Take a day to go and explore the area near you, eat in a typical restaurant, visit places of cultural and touristic interest, then if it’s worth, take a room at the hotel to continue the visit in complete tranquillity the day after.
Create a time capsule. What is a time capsule? My idea of a time capsule is nothing more than a box (for shoes is absolutely fine) that you can personalize by putting inside photos, newspaper clippings, drawings, the letter you wrote to yourself. Use your imagination to create a box that contains everything that represents your current self. Keep it, and have a look at it in a few years time, to see how you have changed. You may be surprised at the progress you have made!
Learn a new skill. If your old hobbies bore you or you don’t have any real hobbies, why not start one? What about learning a new language, a sport that has always attracted you, or a musical instrument? Listen to your passions and develop your talents. Make a list of the things you’d like to do, then choose what you like best.

I’d like to know your ideas! What do you do in your free time?

See you soon with other suggestions.

clear light bulb — Ideas to Try out in Your Free Time -Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

10 Ideas For Spending Your Holidays At Home.

In this period of mobility restrictions caused by the pandemic, the time when we could travel freely seems a long ago. Last year for Easter, I had planned a trip to Berlin and I would not have expected to cancel it. This year too, I would have liked to leave for the Easter break, but the virus is still among us and it is better to stay where we are.

Covid has changed many aspects of our life and going on vacation is one of them. It is obvious that going on vacation is very important for physical and mental health. You should think about taking rest periods even without being able to travel.

When we work we look forward to the weekend but it is not long enough to fully recharge ourselves. To be able to really disconnect from work we need more time.

Holidays are a period of time that we need, we need it as well as sleep, eat, drink, in short, they are a necessity. If we want to stay healthy, we have to take vacations.

Waiting for the pandemic to pass and then taking a long vacation is not a good idea. It is better to take shorter vacations but more often.

Of course, we cannot travel now, it is strongly discouraged, but this does not mean that a period of rest at home or close to your place, depending on what you can do in the country where you live, will do some good. Holidays allow us to recover and when we come back, we often feel better, full of energy and even more creative.

It does not matter where you go on vacation. The main thing is that you can rest and put aside your daily worries. Choose what to do, with whom and when to do it. Not everyone likes travelling. Some like to have time to read more, do more physical activity, spend time outdoors. Others like to take small hikes, without straying too far from home. Some people enjoy long trips, some other like only short ones.

With the health crisis, many of us had their vacations at home. Let us see the positive aspects of it: definitely less pollution, you saved some money and also the stress of travelling.

However, there are people who do not like being at home. They do not know what to do, they get bored, they do not want to tidy up the house (but for this one could call someone to help), and the children (when they are there) need care and attention. They have to think about many things, as if they were working. On the other hand, they may simply want to change air and get to know new places, or return to places they have loved before.

If, however, you are forced to stay at home due to travel restrictions, take some days off and try to take advantage of your free time anyway, as doing so will make you feel better. Moreover, think that the pandemic will be hopefully over soon.

If you find yourself in the position of having to stay at home during your holidays, try these tips:

1. Don’t read professional emails;

2. Do little housework;

3. Establish rules and times for being at the computer or television (both for you and your children, if you have any);

4. Look for new places to discover in your neighbourhood;

5. Spend time in nature because nature is a source of energy;

6. Make a list of what you would normally do on vacation, eliminating the things you cannot do due to anti-Covid rules. For example, in Belgium, where I live, you can ride a bike, but you cannot go to a restaurant;

7. Organize a movie marathon with friends and discuss with them to find out which ones you all liked the most;

8. You can do the same thing with a book. Choose with your friends a book you all would like to read. When finished, you gather together (on-line if not possible a real gathering together) to comment on it;

9. Why do not you sign up for an online course to learn new things? There are many possibilities even for free!

10. Indulge yourself with little vices: buy some chocolate (soon it will be Easter, the best moment to buy it), a good bottle of wine, or have a three-course meal delivered.

What kind of vacation do you like? Do you prefer to travel far away or stay closer?

How And Why Adopting Resolutions Now.

When the holidays are over and you start working or studying again, you want to commit to getting back in shape.

Maybe you ate too much and did little physical activity but it is normal, you have been on holidays!

It could also be an opportunity to take stock of the resolutions taken at the beginning of the year and see where you are.

Often, however, among working or studying and other daily activities, you do not have neither time nor motivation.

How would it be following a program that helps you in achieving your objectives now?

Here are some ideas to help you stick to an easy-to-maintain schedule.

Small daily efforts

Decision taken, this year you will try to use less the car, both because it is a super ecological action and therefore good for the planet, and because you will be forced to find other means of transport to get around. You will also strengthen your body without realizing it.

Ready to include some physical activity in your daily life?

Do not park the closest possible to the shop entrance. Park further away and take a stroll.

2. Stop taking the elevator if you live or work on a relatively low floor.

3. Get around by bike or on foot.

4. Don’t have your shopping delivered to you, do it yourself.

5. Go and buy a sandwich at lunchtime on foot. It allows you to relax a bit, change air and walk.

6. Go for walks of at least 30 minutes at least once a week (I walk at least 30 minutes every day, but I suffer from the restless legs syndrome – RLS). You can walk on the street, in the nature, on the beach, alone or with friends. The important thing is to walk.

7. Buy a Pilates ball and sit on it to watch your favourite TV series, movie, or whatever you like.

As you can see nothing strange and impossible! Start introducing one habit at a time and you will soon find your shape again with a minimum effort. To help you out, you can use an app or a bracelet that monitors your activity like a real coach.

Little efforts at home

We know that sometimes it is hard to find time to go to the gym. Why not doing some physical activity at home then? You can buy accessories that allow you to do some gym without leaving your place, such as electro-stimulators, vibrating platforms or abdominal belts, which tone the muscles by causing contractions. You can also follow some exercises online, YouTube offers them of all kinds. You can do Yoga to relax the body without forgetting the muscles, meditation and relaxation, perfect for learning to breathe deeply and to use breathing as a method to fight stress and anxiety. 10 minutes every morning when you wake up will be good for you. Find a trainer you like, subscribe to their channel and receive notifications every time they upload a new video.

Small efforts on the plate

Holidays are sometimes synonymous with excess. To get back in shape you need to fill up on vitamins. Start the day with a smoothie or fresh fruit juice. Then continue with a healthy, non-fat lunch of seasonal vegetables. It will help you regain your shape.

You can also drink a glass of warm water in the morning on an empty stomach to stimulate metabolism, detoxify the body and facilitate digestion. Add some lemon and it will be tasty.

So, are you ready for this little revolution?