January / 08th / 2018
They say that “old habits” die hard. We believe that when our mind is clear and we are on holiday we can implement new habits more easily and keep them. We would like to share with you six positive habits that you can pick up the next time you go on holiday.
If you are visiting us, here at Kanika Hotels & Resorts you will find a lot of benefits and you will find it easier to keep your new habits.
We start each week running around, going to work, visiting family, maybe taking the kids to school and facing every day challenges. A lot of the time we are not living in the moment; we are thinking of what will happen tomorrow or what happened yesterday. Experts estimate that our mind thinks between 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day. That’s an average of 2,500 – 3,300 thoughts per hour. That’s incredible. Some other experts estimate a smaller number, around 50,000 thoughts per day, which means it’s 2,100 thoughts per hour! That is just mind-blowing.
How on earth can we be present if we have 2,100 thoughts per hour? Well it all comes down to training our mind to be present, to live in the moment. It’s like driving; we get better at it with more practice. The mind is the same; it needs constant training. There is a great book on living in the moment that you can read; The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
Sometimes when you talk with other people, don’t you feel that they are not present? We all do it at some point. The reason why we are not present is because we are thinking about a future event or something that happened in the past and we are not in the moment. A lot of the time we are not actually listening to the other person, we are just waiting for them to finish talking so we can reply with what we think.
The next time you are on holiday practice enjoying the Mediterranean Sea, the beautiful sand, the blue sky, the hotel room you are in, there are literally a million things that you can focus on to be present. You will start living in the moment with your loved ones.
When we were children we used to read books because our teachers and parents told us that we need to read; it was a must. Once we got our degrees we started neglecting reading books because…well you know, we don’t have time. Well there are hundreds of proven studies which show that reading a printed book has a lot of benefits.
There is nothing like the smell of an old book or the crack of a new one’s spine.
Dr. Seuss once wrote “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Reading a good book opens up a whole world of knowledge starting from a very young age. Exposure to new vocabulary not only leads to higher scores on reading tests, but also higher scores on general tests of intelligence. Plus, stronger early reading skills may mean higher intelligence later in life. Here’s a tip: choose a traditional printed book, Kindles and iPads are cool but research suggests that reading on a screen can slow you down by as much as 20 to 30 percent.
Reading makes you more intelligent, more empathetic, it helps you fight Alzheimer’s disease, it helps you relax and reading can help you to achieve better sleep.
The next time you fly to Cyprus and visit one of our resorts, get a nice book from the airport bookstore and enjoy reading in the sun. Once you get into a habit of reading at least 30 minutes a day on your holiday you are more likely to keep reading when you get back home.
Once you finish reading in the morning you can go for a walk. Here in Cyprus we have lovely beaches that you can enjoy. Outside Alexander The Great Hotel in Paphos there is an amazing side-road where you can walk for 30 minutes and enjoy the Mediterranean Breeze.
Running is one of the best butt-kicking, calorie-blasting workouts around. You can run anywhere. Whenever you choose to run on a treadmill, by the beach or in the street, it’s easy to get those miles in. When you run you can explore new places; on your holiday take your sneakers with you. You don’t need to think about pricey gym membership, you can start running with the right shoes.
If you pick up this new habit you will have a new excuse to eat more carbs; more spaghetti. During intense training you will need to increase your carb intake and it will help you boost your performance and boost your mood during hard runs.
You will live longer because runners have fewer disabilities and remain active longer than their sedentary counterparts.
You need a great app to keep track of your running, you can download an awesome app that tracks everything and keeps you motivated, it’s available on iOS and Android: Nike+ Run Club.
The world is shouting at us not to be ourselves, all the adverts are telling us how we should dress and how we should live our life. We spend so much of our emotional energy on worrying about what others think of us and we all try to be accepted by society. Practice being more you; wear what makes you happy, what makes you feel comfortable, what you absolutely love.
When we are ourselves we have more energy, we love ourselves and people around us more. When we try to fit into this world, we are not us. We are not ourselves. While you are enjoying one of our cocktails you can think about the things you like about yourself and really appreciate the fact that you are alive, that you are here.
Being ourselves is the best thing we can all do. This is one of the best habits you can pick up on your next holiday. Come back fresh, a brand new you.
There is a lot of information that says that we need 21 days to form a new habit, which is not really true. Jeremy Dean, a psychologist and author explains that after he conducted some research it showed that some habits can take around 254 days to form and some 84 days. However, the 21 days research is probably right if all you want to do is drink a glass of water after breakfast. Anything harder is likely to take longer to become a really strong habit, and in, the case of some activities, much longer.
We believe if you want to pick up a habit, you need to try and commit to your new habit. Here at Kanika Hotels and Resorts we have everything you need to help you start your new habit.
There you have it, five habits that you can pick up the next time you go on holiday. If you are thinking of booking a holiday, you can choose any of our hotels and retreats here in Cyprus. In the meantime, we would like to read your comments on what habits would you like to pick up on your next holiday, write in the comment section below.
A five-star, couples-only retreat on a romantic beachfront, offering stunning sea and sunset views, ideal for a romantic and relaxing getaway.
A luxurious, couples-only escape, blending upscale elegance with relaxed seaside charm, and offering tailored services and unique experiences for couples.
Discover the ultimate all-inclusive five-star Olympic Lagoon Resorts, Ayia Napa, renowned for its lush gardens, Blue Flag beach, bespoke entertainment, and top-tier luxury services.
Experience luxury and endless leisure at our all-inclusive Olympic Lagoon Resorts Paphos, on a prime Blue Flag beach. With personalised services, and daily signature entertainment for couples and families.
Overlooking a Blue Flag beach and Paphos harbour, Alexander the Great, offers luxury accommodations steps from the shore, with excellent leisure facilities, and exceptional dining.
