How to keep your holiday promises when you’re back home
There’s so many things we love about holidays – sun drenched beaches, Lays crisps, non – judgmental afternoon daiquiri drinking and plenty of time with our favourite people uninterrupted by the daily grind. But one of the most valuable parts of a well-deserved break is the holiday mind-set. Those promises we make, usually while gazing out towards the ocean and all feeling fresh and inspired thanks to plenty of sleep, sunshine and good books. They tend to go something like, “When I get home I’ll start each day with a green juice and yoga, or “I’ll be more productive and stop mindlessly scrolling on my phone for hours on end,” or maybe, “I’ll make an effort to be more present around my friends and family.” It doesn’t escape us that it’s a bit of a cliché, planning to overhaul our lives while blissing out on the beach but that’s a large part of what holiday is all about – embracing the time and the energy to think about what you really want from your days and what you could be doing better. When we get home it usually doesn’t take long for the tedium and tiredness from the commute to kick in. The green juices start off in abundance and then become few and far between, while the early morning gym sessions get swapped out for the snooze button. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can be the people that our holiday selves want us to be. We’ve embraced some healthy post-holiday habits that have helped us stick to our holiday promises. The main focus is being kind to ourselves and not feeling guilty about it – after all we know that stress and no rest is a sure way to burnout. Create a Holiday Vibe at Home In the evenings when we get home from work or the gym, whether it’s a run of mill Tuesday or a jazzy Friday, we’ve got into the habit of creating a mellow holiday vibe at home. We consciously remind ourselves to kick back and not let the trials of the day through our front door – we were hardly worrying about the tone of that email from our boss while we were lying sunning ourselves abroad were we? Work stays at work. Also it’s hard to be stressed out when the exotic smell of Vanilla and Coconut is wafting through your living room and you’ve got some zesty Persian Lime flickering gently in the bedroom. Just the act of lighting the candles makes us feel relaxed. It’s like we’ve pressed pause on the busy demands of the day and the atmosphere is instantly transformed into one of gentle tranquillity. We also love the crisp, floral, scent of Egyptian Cotton and like to have a few diffusers dotted around the house, in our bathroom and the bedroom – giving off a subtle warm scent, even when there’s no candles burning. (Our August Offer of the Month is 20% Off Egyptian Cotton) Our loved ones also have the pleasure of coming through the door after a hard day, to what smells like a tropical paradise. Making More Time for Loved Ones Speaking of them, in the past we might have said hello when they got in and immediately dived back into our book, the ironing or whatever we were watching on Netflix but in the spirit of being more present, we now take the time to give our partner a hug and properly find out how their day was. This makes us feel all warm and fuzzy and that episode of Orange is the New Black can surely wait. No screens in the bedroom While we were away one of the main promises we made to ourselves was to get out of bed earlier to try and be productive – be it going for a run or blitzing some apple and spinach in the blender. With this in mind (and we’re not saying it’s easy!) we’re no longer watching TV, or the iPad, or looking at our phones for an hour before bed. We know that it’s hardly sundown margaritas in a jaunty beach bar but a highlight of our evenings has become strolling through to our bedroom, slipping under the covers and reading by candle light for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes we get derailed by a fabulous crime drama and end up watching Marcella until midnight but that’s OK too – we’re being kind to ourselves remember? We’ve been sleeping much better and waking up more refreshed – properly holiday style rested and ready to tackle the day. Whatever you’re holiday promises were, they’re more likely to be achieved if you’ve got the same energy levels and clear head that you had while making them - so embrace some new habits and hopefully you’ll keep your holiday promises too! Happy Holidays Candle Lovers x
