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Happy holidays

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Tuesday, 6 July 2010 by Janice Atkin - ROTN Manager

6 tips for making the most of your holidays

Planning for happiness is a really important part of maintaining and promoting mental health and wellbeing. So, as most states and territories are in school holiday mode we thought it would be timely to provide you with some tips on how to make the most of your holiday time.

Tip 1: Plan your time to ensure you do some pleasurable and satisfying activities.
This might sound obvious but in my experience, too many people let their holidays (and lives) drift by without really making the most of them.

Tip 2: Make sure your holiday activities involve spending time with other people
Sure, it's important to take care of your own needs and to enjoy your own pleasures but the currency of real happiness is connection...so give that long lost friend a call or book in a "date" with your long suffering partner!

Tip 3: Use your strengths to create a positive holiday full of happiness and fulfilment
What are you really great at and how can you utilise this to generate positivity over the next two weeks. It could be a creative hobby, sporting skill, crossword completing capabilities.... whatever it may be, enjoy the success and satisfaction you feel when undertaking these activities.

Tip 4: Set yourself at least one challenging task to complete
Although happiness comes from enjoying fun activities it can also come from completing something difficult or even crossing an unpleasant, but necessary task off your "to do" list.

Tip 5: Engage in at least a bit of exercise
There's no doubt that rest is important, especially during the holidays in order to recharge the batteries ready for the next term. But there's also no doubt that activity and purposeful/healthy movement is a powerful mood booster, so make sure you build it in to your holiday activities whenever you can.

Tip 6: Have fun!
Above all else, do something, anything, that will make you laugh and sing, or dance and smile : ). check out some stand up comedy, go and watch a funny film, catch up on the TV sitcom you have meaning to watch or get the house to yourself and put on your own concert - singing your lungs out to your favourite artist always makes you feel good!

Adapted from a post on The Happiness Institute blog by Dr Tim Sharpe.