What is it exactly about going on holidays that makes us de-stress? Sometimes just the thought of going somewhere different can bring much-needed relief. The whole idea of a holiday is to break away from your usual, everyday routine - nothing like a bit of R&R to recharge the batteries. In her latest book, Loving Yourself to Great Health, Louise Hay pinpoints what many of us feel when we are long overdue for a holiday. She says, “We begin to think and feel like we’re machines, capable of running nonstop to fulfill a to-do list, and we forget to honour ourselves.”

Today’s card, “Savouring Pleasure” from Denise Linn’s Gateway Oracle Cards can help us do just that and indulge ourselves in lieu of a holiday.

Tips on how to bring that happy holiday feeling home:

- Recreate retreat-like pampering – a long soak in the bath each week can do wonders.  

- Recognise your energy zappers – how can you better spend your time so more can be allocated to activities that nourish and nurture?

- Use this as an opportunity to simplify your life. 

Dr Travis Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, looked at how successful people spent their weekends. Number six on the list was, “They Minimise Chores”. Travis reveals how, “Chores have a funny habit of completely taking over your weekends … you lose the opportunity to relax and reflect. What’s worse is that a lot of chores feel like work, and if you spend all weekend doing them, you just put in a seven-day workweek.” 

The solution here is to re-schedule chores elsewhere and leave your weekends free – which interestingly is the purpose of a holiday – to feel free.

A holiday, like anything else we desire, is something that we believe will make us feel better for the experience of it. The trick is to feel better in the meantime, so that we are not placing our happiness into some external or future goal. Speaking of enjoying things, I’d better go, I wouldn't want my bath to overflow. Send your questions to editor@areanews.com.au