Monday April 30, 2012
Lim May Lee
It's time to take your shoes off and relax: Enjoy May 1 by leaving your worker's hat at the office. Get out of that work mindset and carpe diem! That means putting down that phone, and not checking your emails. Try these holiday ideas instead so you come back to work refreshed and ready to achieve!
Visit a park
When was the last time you actually went outside and looked around? Most busy career people find that their route goes from house, to carpark, and then to office, and back again with a detour for lunch. This Labour Day, visit a park! Bring a picnic and/or some loved ones and just soak up some fresh air and sunshine – the vitamin D you get from sunlight is believed to boost endorphin production in your body, making you feel happier and more relaxed. You just might find that your next workday starts off without any of those pesky blues!
Spend quality time with the family
Let’s face it: Working long hours chasing deadlines is anything but conducive towards quality family time. Most people might find their minds straying back to work-related issues even while they’re at home, when they’re supposed to be relaxing and/or actually paying attention to the people around them. Spend one day really listening as well as sharing. It will do wonders for your family ties, and you might be surprised: If you do share your work stories they might actually be able to contribute ideas that you hadn’t previously considered due to your close proximity to the project or issue.
Watch a movie
Nothing takes one’s mind off the niggling issues in life (work or otherwise) like a movie. Pop a DVD into the player or hit the cinema for a little escapism! After about two hours of living another life, you could come back to realise that you’re far more relaxed than if you just sat at home doing some work to get ready for the next day.
Take a nap
The average human needs about 6-8 hours of sleep a night: Depriving yourself of sleep creates a sleep debt that can take a toll on your mental functions. Reaction time, efficiency and thinking abilities are all things that are subtly affected when you’re about to be a sleep bankrupt. Now that you’ve got a day off, take a chunk out of your debt by catching forty winks in the afternoon. For one day, forget about being productive and just take a snooze; you’ve earned it!
Do what you like!
Every day in your workplace is a day spent doing what your boss wants you to do. On Labour Day, do what YOU want to do! If you like to paint, blow the dust off your brushes and start your masterpiece. If you like to shop, heat up that credit card (we do not condone over-spending, though)! If you like to work ... don’t. You can do that on Wednesday.
Happy Labour Day, folks!