A Positive Holiday Mindset for Year-Round Good Vibes

 

We all need a break from the stresses and worries in our lives.

 

But being able to indulge in a much-needed break got more complicated when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, affecting travel severely. The good news is while we wait for travel restrictions to ease, we can still imbibe the holiday mindset in ways that don’t even require leaving our homes.

 

Creating a holiday wish list and planning our next wellness break to recharge our batteries is a nice form of escapism in itself, as we dream of beautiful destinations and mentally propel ourselves to somewhere more exotic than our living room.

 

We can also prepare ourselves mentally to have that holiday feeling by practising mindfulness any time of the year, ideally throughout the year, so that our baseline mood is already calm and positive. This way, we are not constantly waiting for the next chance to be able to travel to de-stress, and when the time comes when we are actually able to go on holiday, we can enjoy our break even more and come back totally refreshed.

 

By nurturing positivity every day of the year and raising your energy levels, you can enjoy a state of relaxation wherever you may be and supercharge any future holiday. Sophrology is ideal to work on your mindset before, during and after a break to ensure you enjoy a sense of positivity all year round.

 

How Sophrology Can Help You Have a Positive Mindset

 

Practising a relaxation technique such as Sophrology can bring similar benefits to going on holiday: daily stresses wash away, we feel calm and nothing really bothers us. We radiate positivity and our positive attitude helps us in any interaction with others. When we are in a relaxed state, we enjoy and appreciate life more.

 

Blending ancient wisdom from yoga and Zen Buddhism with modern therapeutic approaches such as autogenic training, Sophrology provides valuable tools to help you cope with modern life, stay happy and calm, and thrive.

 

During times of uncertainty having a regular Sophrology practice can help you tap into your inner potential and go through life with clarity and purpose.

 

No matter what storm is brewing outside, you can tame your inner turmoil through a sequence of relaxation exercises combining breathing, gentle movement and visualisation. Visualisation is particularly useful when you want more positivity in your life.

 

You can start by doing a simple Body Scan, focusing on each area of your body with your eyes closed and using your breathing to relax every muscle and every organ in your body. You can use your imagination to see yourself surrounded by a beautiful landscape, observing everything around you, seeing yourself happy and radiant. A word may pop into your head, for example confidence, and you can use this word to anchor yourself to the present moment. You can breathe the word confidence in and, as you breathe out, you can imagine it travelling all through your body.

 

The beauty of every Sophrology session is that it only requires 10 minutes of your time and it’s a very efficient way to achieve a state of balance. Once you reach this state, your thinking becomes clearer and you feel more able to steer life in the right direction.

 

Of course, holidays are still an amazing complement in managing a positive mindset all year round. Holidays can be enriching experiences bringing new stimuli and helping us in our journey of self-discovery, but it is important to be clear on your expectations for the trip.

 

Know Your Goals When You Plan Your Wellness Holiday

 

Having a clear goal for a wellness holiday is important: for example, you may think you need to do absolutely nothing for a week, but perhaps you don’t realise that when your stress levels were at their peak, your eating habits became irregular and you stopped exercising. Not taking this into account and not addressing it in favour of embracing a healthier lifestyle would be a missed opportunity.

 

When you are ready to plan your next retreat or spa break, you can trust the advice of Frances Geoghegan, Owner & Founder of multi-award winning Healing Holidays to recommend the best wellness package that is uniquely tailored to you. If you are choosing a wellness break to address specific issues, then this is where you really need to know your Spas.

 

Here are some of his tips for planning the perfect wellness break:

 

  • If you want a spring in your step and to feel energised you can choose a detox holiday,  spending a few days in a spa, where all your meals are carefully planned and prepared for optimum nutrition, and you can follow specific and personalised fitness programmes. Examples include the Longevity Resort in Portugal and for a Pilates boot camp you can head all the way to  Absolute Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand.

 

 

  • If you are interested in a holistic approach for long term health you can look at an Ayurveda retreat to look after your mind, body and soul giving you the opportunity to travel to truly exotic locations in India and Sri Lanka. Examples include Soukya, an Ayurvedic clinic in India.

 

  • For spiritual enlightenment and deeper transformation you can choose India for a wellness sabbatical at Vana where you can experience Ayurveda, Tibetan Healing and Chinese Medicine through a tailored programme.

 

Focus on how you want to feel after a holiday and how you can maintain that feeling. During your holiday ensure you have a few moments to pause and be in quiet reflection. It’s important to ask yourself what your mind and body need to feel good, and be mindfully present.

 

It’s so easy to fall into bad habits and let stress take over when we go back to our normal routines, but with 10 minutes of Sophrology every day you can keep stress under control and keep those good vibes going even months after a holiday.

 

You can find some free Sophrology exercises on the BeSophro website and learn how to develop a positive mindset in the Move Forward with Positivity online course.