10 Ideas for Recharging Your Batteries during the Holidays

Luci’s team of healthy lifestyle advisors offers 10 activity suggestions that are both stimulating and energizing to recharge your batteries during the holidays. Sip a good hot chocolate and let yourself be inspired by these few ideas:

1. Reconnect with nature According to a recent report, interacting with nature has real benefits for physical and mental health, such as reduced heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. You don’t have to venture to the North Pole to enjoy it! To decompress and oxygenate your lungs, you can visit the Botanical Garden, take a walk in a national park or simply go out for a walk in the small wooded area behind the house.
2. Cooking together Practised in pairs or in groups, cooking brings people together, calls for creativity and encourages the sharing of experiences. Why not invite your loved ones to prepare comfort food, so that you can have a tasty time together? By freezing the extra food, the “future you” will have meals in the bank to cope with the busy days of January.
3. Take a yoga class Yoga classes at any level allow us to bring our attention in the moment, to adopt a better breathing technique while putting the body in motion. Move a little more, breathe a little better, calm the whirlwind of our thoughts… all these things help us keep our body and mind healthy. Being guided by the voice of a teacher is also very calming for people used to juggling multiple responsibilities.
4. Writing autofiction Did you know that writing projects stimulate neurons and can help keep the brain healthy ? Bring your childhood memories back to life by writing your autobiography or short stories inspired by your experiences. To overcome blank page syndrome, start writing without putting pressure on yourself and enlist the help of those close to you to remember shared events, funny stories and fits of laughter (see point 9).
5. Self-massage With the heavy workload that we take on daily, certain muscles in the body can accumulate tension. To remedy this, consider closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, and then practising self-massage techniques for a few minutes. By creating a relaxing atmosphere with a few aromatic candles and relaxing music, the space will become conducive to relaxation. You will find several free tutorials online.
6. Enjoy art. Art feels good. Like a square of chocolate, visual art is a sensory experience that activates the brain’s reward system. Indeed, when you admire a painting or a sculpture that you like, hormones related to pleasure are released. Experience it by visiting a gallery, a museum or an immersive exhibition.
7. Engage in a creative project Creating with the help of your imagination and with both hands is beneficial for grey matter, as it puts thinking skills and fine motor skills into play (finger agility). Working on a creative project allows you to take a break from your day and forget about your worries, at least for a well-deserved moment! Origami, drawing, watercolour, knitting, sewing, collage, carpentry… the choice is yours!
8. Go out to a restaurant Why not take advantage of the holidays to go out for coffee or share a meal with a loved one? Not only will this outing give you a more than welcome break from doing the dishes, but confiding in a loved one will do you good. In addition, rich and regular social interactions contribute to brain health.
9. Organize a “nostalgia” evening Projecting old slides on the living room wall or leafing through your photo albums: these are two great activities to do with relatives. Who knows, maybe you will discover precious secrets and family anecdotes ? Remembering “the good old days” will undoubtedly result in beautiful and touching moments with your loved ones.
10. Try out pottery Several workshops offer introductory pottery or clay sculpture formulas. All it takes is a little internet search to find a class near you. Going out of the house to shape a block of clay, alone or with friends, can break the routine. Maybe you will even develop a new talent? Make way for the Michelangelo in you!

Whether you put these 10 suggestions into practice or none of them (sleep is a good option too!), we just want you to make some quality time for yourself this winter. Happy Holidays!