This may seem like an easy task to those who remember a time before smart phones… or, before any mobile phones! Back when a plan to meet friends had to be concrete, when there was no ‘be there in 5’ texting option to redeem your tardy habits.
Actually, you might be surprised at how difficult it is to not check your phone every few minutes in a zombie-like manner then we live in a culture where our everyday lives are absolutely saturated with them.
On my trip to Ibiza last year we rented an Airbnb with no Wifi for the 2nd half of the holiday….
by talking the option of aimlessly checking my phone away from myself, I found it was much easier to relax, easier to engage fully with the people around me and, easier to experience the moment in real time (not through an attractively filtered insta pic a few hours later!).
In order to use this holiday habit in your everyday life you’ll need to either put your phone away from arm’s reach or, agree with yourself that you won’t touch it for X amount of time- Maybe start with 40 minutes & build up from there?
The best way to get the full effect from this holiday habit is to read… most people still read books when abroad but never seem to ‘have the time’ in their day-to-day lives.
By allowing yourself that hour each day to read an engrossing novel (or magazine) rather than aimlessly retweeting & hashtagging; you’ll feel more alert, more relaxed and, more in control of your own life.
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Something we tend to do a lot more of on holidays in spend time outdoors between going to the beach and, often walking a lot more as we don’t have personal transport.
I get it…. in Ireland, spending time outdoors (especially in the colder months) is slightly less attractive than a day spent lounging on a Spanish beach but, getting in contact with the earth can have powerful effect on the mind & body.
According to earthinginstitute.net, Earthing (basically, the process of getting in direct contact with the earth) ‘generates a powerful and positive shift in the electrical state of the body and the electrodynamics of blood, and restores natural self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms’. Now, this may seem like a concept derived from affected hippies back in the Woodstock era but, whether you believe that being outdoors is lifechanging or, just routine changing… either way it has a positive effect.
Instead of meeting a friend in a local cafe, grab a coffee in a park market & walk with it- Simple & refreshing.
Most big parks have weekend markets or a cafe nearby so there’s no excuse with this one. Marley park have a great market that offers food & warm drinks to fuel your day wandering the vast green space surrounding you.
Rent bikes in a local Park with a friend & see where the day will take you. Try a tandem bike if you’re really up for the lols! The spontaneity of being outdoors will leave you with a day far more memorable than sipping lattes in a jaded cafe.
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One of the simplest ways to incorporate holiday habits into your day-to-day life.
Skip the ‘cheeky nando’s‘(??) after work and instead, head to a more unfamiliar restaurant. Order foreign beers & something you’ve never heard of.
Feeling more adventurous? Let the waiter choose your dish. Honestly, try this with a friend & you’ll laugh from start to finish… a great alternative to meeting in the usual local eatery.
Did you know we have authentic African restaurants in Dublin? Pot luck nights where groups who meet online all bring a dish to each other’s houses? Pay-as-you-feel cafes? The options are endless, the only limitations are the ones you put on yourself.
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One of the best holidays I’ve ever had was years ago when Sean & I headed to a rural part of Ireland, stayed in a B&B equipped with kites, kayaks, books & instruments and, the most interesting host you’re ever likely to meet.
We’d never heard of the area before we’d been but spent the few days mountain waking with packed lunches, fishing and playing darts in the local watering holes. It was brilliant, relaxed and unique.
Next time you have a day off, or, a few days to spare; head off into the country side & see where you end up. Explore the area, talk to the locals and enjoy. Having a free schedule for the day is the best way to make room for spontaneity.
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Take the belly dancing class, say yes to that trip with friends or, even get back to that old hobby you used to love.
Go to a play instead of the cinema, a gig instead of a nightclub or, go to a flea market instead of Liffey valley.
We tend to try endless new things on holidays but, as soon as we’re home we slip back into the old familiar. Half of what made that new location/ restaurant/ experience so great when you were away (aside form the fact that the experience was likely complemented with cheap foreign booze) was that you’d simply never tried it before.
Continue the quest for new experiences in a conscious manner– When I returned from backpacking I wanted to encourage myself to keep trying new things so, I kept a list on my phone that I added to each time I did something/ went somewhere I’d never been before.
This honestly made me more inclined to try new things as I loved looking back over it & seeing what I’d gotten up to.
So this week- hit a karaoke bar, go to a car boot sale, see a site you’ve never seen before, or, whatever it is that tickles your now adventurous fancy. If you love it, ahhmazing. If you don’t, chalk it down to experience & move on with your life… chances are it’ll still be more interesting than what you would have gotten up to as your former, more reserved self.
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When I first qualified in nursing I went from working/studying 7 days to having 4 days off a week in a full time job. It was obviously a far more favorable work-to-life ratio but, left me feeling a little overwhelmed about how I was going to ‘fill’ all that spare time.
This led me to thedublineventguide.com, Dublin.lecool.com & maaaaany more sites that were updated regularly with vast amounts of interesting things happening around Dublin. At first I actually couldn’t believe how much was going on!
For years I spent my days off attending all sorts of quirky events from Viking festivals to live art installations, motivational talks and dinners in homes of people I’d never met. Some were completely shite , most were a huge amount of fun & great way to get myself out of that dreaded comfort zone. Get on a Dublin bike and spend the day getting lost in the city…. Check out some events and finish the night listening to live trad in a Smithfield dive bar or, sipping vino at an open mic night.
The size of our city is actually a huge advantage as it means we can access absolutely everything that’s going on.
I’m telling you now that there is SO much to do in Dublin. Read the sites mentioned above & you’ll never have an excuse to be claim boredom again.
Well there you have it guys, 6 ways to incorporate holiday fun & spontaneity into your everyday life, Just cause the vacay is over it doesn’t mean the adventure has to stop! Hope you guys enjoyed reading it.
Do you have any more suggestions? I’d love to hear about them in the comments xx
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