The lovely summer evenings have been such a gift this year. That being said, they are eclipsed by that feeling of having a week or two’s uninterrupted holidays from work. And for many of us, that period is upon us around this time. It’s so important to make the most of it. Here’s three things I hope you do in and around your holidays.

Rest:

A friend shared with me a great phrase last week relating to holidays. And that is that we must slow down if we want to accelerate. It’s so true. Whatever you hope to achieve after your holidays, the quality of rest you get will dictate the extent to which you make it happen. Keith Earls has been Ireland’s best rugby player in 2018. Earls speaks about how improved rest and sleep have been central to his sustained good form on the pitch.

Get plenty of good rest, sleep and relaxation in over your break.

Reward:

I am 100% sure that between January 1 and now, you’ve had numerous moments of success – big and small. In this busy pace of life we live, we often forget to celebrate our successes. And have no doubt, we’ll all be chasing the next success after our holidays. Take a moment or an evening over your holidays to celebrate the successes so far in 2018.

Recognise:

Whenever we experience success we have a tendency to overlook the effort, persistence and resilience that allowed us to make it happen. Performance Psychologist Carol Dweck believes that ‘praising the process’ that brought about the success is a key part to continued growth and success. Now this suggestion is not for your holidays. It’s instead to be done just before or after. Take time to reflect and identify what you did that was central to making the success you experienced a reality this year so far. The output of your reflection is essentially the backbone of your success. And this, if repeated, is likely to ensure more successes for the remainder of the year.

Enjoy the rest, reward and recognition you deserve over your holiday.