Putting our foot on the brake is essential for our overall health –

For many people, the end of the year is synonymous with rush and stress. We started January in a tone of exhaustion and low energy.

Why not do it differently? After all, 2021 was challenging for pretty much everyone, and if there’s one thing we’ve had the opportunity to learn from him, it’s that these times call for flexibility, self-employed and reinvention capacity.

Taking it easy and setting a calm pace to start 2022 with a recharged battery is up to us. The recess period is also usually a time of reflection and balance of what we could do differently to go through this year with happiness and enthusiasm for work and life. See these tips:

Delete tasks. How about cutting off the to-do list what is not a priority or even necessary? “Instead of giving in to the temptation to do more and more, try to do less. Relieving the pressure on your time makes everything more enjoyable”, suggests Carl Honoré, creator of the slow movement, in the book Slow: How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed.

Live the moment. When you’re working, work. While with family or friends, just be present and enjoy the time you have together. Wanting to handle several things at once or doing an activity with your head elsewhere is a recipe for stress, anxiety, tiredness and frustration.

Question your haste. It has been proven that we act on automatic most of the time, without paying close attention to our actions. The next time you find yourself rushing to complete a task or get somewhere, stop and ask yourself if you really need to go so fast – you might be surprised to find that there’s no reason to be in such a rush. Breathe calmly and try to slow down to carry out your activities with more focus and quality.

Take a break from so much information. It is clear that it is important to be aware of what is happening in the world, but do we need to consume the same news several times a day, sometimes on different channels (portals, social networks, television…) and without a filter of what is really useful for us? Try setting aside time at the beginning and end of the day to catch up and select quality information sources. Your brain and body will thank you.

Take breaks. Spending hours in a chair while working in front of the computer is one of the worst things you can do for your health and productivity. Make it a habit to get up every hour, even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes. Drink water, go to the bathroom, breathe and do a short meditation, stretch your body or just take a few steps around the house or office. Decreasing the time spent sitting prevents and relieves body aches, reduces stress and the risk of heart disease, increases productivity and even improves the ability to make decisions.