Make Your Good Friday Great
For some, the long weekend will prompt big plans- catching up with DIY, visiting friends or getting away with the family. For those who simply want to wind down and switch off, we have some alternative suggestions for this year’s Easter Weekend.
Take a walk with no agenda– Go at your own pace, don’t set any goals for distance or time. Just enjoy taking in your surroundings and really being present in your environment. Stop for a while if you like and listen to the sounds around you, relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Plant an edible garden– Whether you have a private garden or a window box, Easter weekend is a great time to plant some herbs. Basil, Chives and Mint thrive outdoors at this time of year and you can enjoy them in your home cooking all year round. Potatoes are also traditionally planted at Easter with a first crop appearing before the end of July. Not only will you be able to enjoy the fruits of your planting but growing your own food at home helps to reduce your carbon footprint and save on plastic waste.
Create a happy playlist– Listening to music helps stimulate areas of the brain related to memory, reasoning, emotion and reward. Creating a playlist of songs which remind you of a specific event or time in your life that you enjoyed can lift your mood and make you feel happy. We recommend you aim for 30-50 songs with only 1 song per artist allowed. Take your time while creating your list to really think about that happy memory each song reminds you of. It might take you all day but you will always have it at hand when you need that boost of happiness.
Sleep! – With no alarm due in the morning now is the chance to catch up on that much needed rest. Don’t feel pressured into being busy because you are off. Take a warm bath, read a book, close the curtains, get cosy and get an early night. Sleep is essential for good mental and physical health helping to restore our brains and bodies.
If you are someone who struggles to switch off due to a demanding workload we can help, LJM VA Services are open to allow you some much-needed downtime.
