It’s 2 days before Christmas and I’m sitting in this beautiful café with a hot chocolate. It’s freezing outside (okay, may it’s just cold and wet). What a relaxed day before the holidays are upon us. It’s absolutely fantastic!
Do you also want to enjoy a stress-free Christmas? Who doesn’t?! Here are my top 5 tips to start Christmas in the most relaxed and stress-free way!
It’s Thursday and although it’s a short week, it’s been manic. I felt like I was working on 20 different projects at the same time. Rather than stopping to think, prioritising my day, yes, I just kept going. There was no progress whatsoever and it was horrible! Do you know this feeling?
Today is the day to change this! I’ve taking some time out to think and so should you.
My loved ones nonchalantly mentioned that they haven’t brought any Christmas presents yet. It’s the 12th of December! Christmas is just around the corner! For a lot of people, this could raise the pre-Christmas stress levels. Luckily, we have a rule in this family: No presents above EUR 30 (around 116 dirhams).
Are you also fed up with going in debt to give toys which, after only 3 days, are just laying around? Looking a disappointed expression on your loved one’s face when they don’t get the gift they wanted? It’s time to change your approach to gifting at Christmas! If you can’t or don’t want to give up presents just yet, present clutter-free, memorable gifts to your loved one!
We’re approaching the last month of 2016 and like many, I can feel the year end pressure. Getting the last projects closed and coordinating all the different Christmas parties are the biggest sources of stress. It’s good stress, right?! You’re probably in a similar situation and keep telling yourself, it’s all good.
What we don’t realise as we’re juggling 20 different activities at once, we are depleting ourselves. Winter weather may leave you with a cold or you’re feeling exhausted. You need to look after yourself. When was the last time you did something just for you?
When you first come to the region, you’ll notice the differences to your home country. The A/C can be set too freezing cold and you’re wearing layers to prepare for the difference in temperatures. Traffic can be challenge and you’ve learnt to anticipate the erratic driving styles of other drivers. Meetings don’t always start on time and you’re bringing some reading material to ease your weight.
Ever stepped into your bedroom, completely wrecked but couldn’t fall asleep when laying in your bed? There were clothes on your bed, books and magazines laying on your nightstand, or maybe dirty laundry on the floor? All you could think of was this messy bedroom.
A peaceful bedroom will let you enjoy sleep like a baby and who of us would turn quality sleep away? I can’t afford to toss and turn just to wake up tired and possibly also grumpy. You can take a few simple steps and create your own calm and serene bedroom that you’ve been dreaming of.
Last night, I was really stressed. Making the final edits for a work project, my laptop decided to crash. And then again! Twice while racing against the clock. What a horror story! How could this be? I freaked out. The plans to buy that new laptop may be pulled forward to this weekend!
During this fiasco, I remembered a few of my own stress-relieving methods. Everyone handles stress differently and here are my top 10 tips for beating stress:
Can you believe it? Time is flying. A number of my clients and friends vowed to make changes to their lifestyle at the beginning of the year. It’s now June and where are they with living a healthier and active life?
This week, I spoke at the 20th Compensation & Benefits Forum where you could see a clear trend of companies emphasising wellbeing initiatives and supporting their employees with their wellbeing goals. It was fantastic to hear companies are being more concerned about their employees’ wellbeing. What small and lasting changes can you make to your wellbeing? Here are some of the trends and tips:
In less than a week, the holy month of Ramadan will start. Muslims will bring daily sacrifices by fasting and will be rehearsing the Koran. It’s a time where friends and family come together. Regardless of their religions, Iftar meals are enjoyed throughout the country. The holy month is also a time for reflection which we so often neglect. This special month can also be a very busy one.
How can you prepare for Ramadan 2016?
Time seems to fly in Dubai. How can it be that we’re almost in April while we just celebrated New Year’s Eve? They say time flies if you’re having fun. Generally, that seems to be true and like you, I don’t want to stop having a good time. And yet, I know that we can’t always have fun and live carelessly in the day. Often, the weekend is filled with errands, boring tasks which were ignored during the week and some fun activities. How can you make your time work for you and enjoy your weekends even more?