2024 will be squeezed into the day-o-rama – to say the least. There are no red days that fall on a weekend and 17 May is a Friday. In 2024, Christmas Eve falls on a Tuesday, and thus Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Wednesday and Thursday. Thus, the 27th is a squeezed day. The organizational psychologist says that it is gold for our mental health – provided that you use the day off correctly. Important for being satisfied with life Christina Nerstad is professor of organizational psychology at BI School of Business, and has done a lot of research on motivation and facilitation for work-related health and well-being. She says it is important to recover from everyday work with many demands and high expectations. – It is crucial for our well-being, it contributes to better sleep, positive emotions and is important for our satisfaction with life. In addition, taking time off can help strengthen our social relationships and family experiences – which can be nice during these holiday times. The four holiday factors Nerstad tells about new research that highlights four different experiences that can be important for recovering, to get the most out of the holiday time. Psychological disengagement – Psychological disengagement is about freeing yourself from work and putting it away. Nerstad says that how you disconnect is individual. – Some need physical activity and others need a good book. Individual needs must be considered here. Treat yourself to a book, if you are not in the South! Photo: Cathrine Brekka / news Relaxation Relaxation is about how we experience a low degree of activation, get high demands and a high level of positive emotions. Nerstad talks about a recent study which found that holidays are particularly important for perfectionists. – If you are concerned with appearing perfect, you may not seek social support from others because, among other things, you do not want to show that you have faults and shortcomings. – No matter how well you perform, it may seem that the effort is not good enough. Then it is extra important to take time off and reduce the level of activation and demands, in order to reduce emotional exhaustion and negative moods. Experiences of mastery How one experiences mastery is obviously individual. Nevertheless, it is an important point to recover from the holiday. – It’s about when we experience personal growth and mastering what we use our time for. It can be a form of activity where we develop our skills, learn something, or master something we like to do – such as baking a cake, climbing a new climbing route or teaching the dog a new trick. Maybe you can use the holiday to finish the many-year-old knitting project that is hidden in the back of the closet? Photo: Sissel Brunstad Autonomy – Autonomy is about self-determination, says Nerstad. It is important that we decide what we want to spend our time on, and that we decide who we want to spend it with in our free time. But in these holiday times it is ticking towards family time, where autonomy is sometimes limited. Mother may want you to shovel snow, father may want to take you to the cinema and siblings may want to go sledding. Perhaps you just want to hang out with friends at a water park. What? Find loopholes! – See if you can find a time when you can prioritize doing something of your own for yourself, says the organizational psychologist. – For example, find loopholes where your partner can take the children so you can do yoga, read a book or meet a friend. Perhaps you will find a loophole where you and your friends can put on your flippers and jump into the water? Photo: Roar Strøm – Create a few small break rooms where you can take care of yourself, is Nerstad’s advice. If we don’t take the time to catch up on holidays and in our free time, the consequences can be many. On the list are reduced mental health, a higher degree of burnout, poorer performance over time and negative emotional states such as anxiety and depression. At the same time, Nerstad believes that on a family holiday you can turn the lack of opportunity to constantly take care of yourself and your own activity wishes into something positive as well. – Consider, for example, that family time is a golden opportunity to meet the need for belonging and togetherness. It can also help to strengthen the relationship. – What is your advice on how to use the extra public holidays and days off in 2024? – It is often a challenge that you make too many plans. Simplify it a little, make fewer plans and don’t rush through a big program. Allow room for relaxation and disconnection. In addition, they are encouraged to have positive expectations for the holidays. Imagine something pleasant that you can do, and remember that the effect of the holiday is quite short-lived. – Some researchers say that it goes away after two weeks, so make good use of your holiday days.
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Check all the red days for the leap year 2024 here – news Nordland
