In the last couple of weeks I've been exploring the idea of "Finding the Holiday in the Everyday".

I was wondering, why people like to be on holiday? What makes these moments so sweet and special compared to our everyday life?

You may think that what I'm saying it's crazy , "Of course you enjoy it, it's holiday time!" But I'm going a bit deeper than that....

What are the feelings that come up for you when you think about holidays?

When I started focusing on the feelings, I realized that growing up I connected the idea of holidays with " cosy, warm, flower dresses, beach and sun, no homework, books to read on my couch, christmas movies, family games.....and so many more things.

In all this situations there was an element of EASE and FLOW , and allowing myself to be pulled by spontaneous events vs. the planning and controlling of everyday life, in which I have to " get things done".

The difference ?

Focus on the process and getting lost into it vs. focusing on the final results.

If I had to summarize them, I would say that on holiday I usually allow myself to :

Say YES to spontaneous adventure
Actually dedicate time to listen to people, and chat with new and random friends without the pressure of looking at my watch for my next meeting or task on my to-do list
Walking slowly and stop to smell the flowers
Give my time to help someone out
Cooking and baking with my sister just to experiment around
Getting lost in a book for as long as I want
Movies marathons
Going for a day trip in the countryside or to the beach
Taking photos and looking at things with wonder
Doing things just for FUN !

And so many more things which can be summarized in the feelings of spontaneity, openess, fun and a general sensation of time expansion and not planning things out.

Why we should bring more of these feelings to our everyday life?

The beauty of all the things I listed above it's that they are simple things. They don't involve taking a plane to the other side of the world ( even if that's amazing too! ) neither spending lots of money on a luxury spa treatment !

And the advantages of experiencing more of these " holiday mode feelings" are huge in my opinion because when we are at ease and in a state of wonder, we are SO much more CREATIVE and AWAKE .

There is suddenly an abundance of opportunities coming your way when you take off the pressure of DOING for a couple of hours.

Next question, how to do it?

That's a good question. The fact is that being carefree and spontaneous is not very encouraged, especially when you have a day job, maybe kids to look after, and lots of responsibilities.

I want to share the process that I'm personally following :

1. Identify which are the feelings that represent " Being on Holiday" for you.

So you get a clear idea of what's missing in your everyday life and what helps you tune into a more spontaneous and easy mindset. For me personally the main feeling I am looking for is " playful and fun" . I know that as a highly sensitive person I create more easily moments to relax and slow down in my life, because I need them to function, but I don't often throw myself into FUN and ADVENTUROUS experiences.

2. Once you have the feelings, think of experiences you could do, which are accessible in your environment to recreate that feelings.

For instance if for you holiday means " hiking in the mountains and feeling sporty" and you feel like that mostly on holiday, what can you do this week that make you feel that way? Maybe find a climbing wall in your city and spend a couple of hours playing there, or maybe just go for a walk in a park so you feel in nature. In my experience I realized that to inject more fun and playfulness in the everyday I wanted to connect more with the creatures that are the most playful and present, animals and children ! So I looked for experiences that could put me in contact with them , like dog-sitting or playing with my friends' kids and learn from them the art of play and adventure.

3. Finally I think it's super important to take action before your inner critics kicks in and tells you that you have no time for that!

So hurry up and schedule in your calendar this event , so you have no excuses and you can recreate your holiday feeling as soon as possible.

I am actually sharing every week on Instagram one of my " Holiday in the Everyday" adventures in which I do things out of my ordinary. I would love you to join me, so you can add me here on Instagram and share your experiences with the hashtag #followyourinnerlight so I can be your cheerleader in your holidays in the everyday.

Lots of love!!

Alessia

Find the Holiday in the Everyday