Five pieces of advice to make the most of your vacations in 2024

If you are one of those people who are about to take a break from work or school, make the most of your vacations in 2024.

Take time to relax, disconnect yourself from the digital world as far as possible, or connect with your family is the advice of Tec de Monterrey specialists.

For Brenda Guzmán from the Wellbeing and Counseling Department at Tec de Monterrey’s Morelia campus, it is case of looking for activities that generate physical, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing.

“Look for activities that will enable you to connect with yourself and others. This will give you the opportunity to identify how you feel and to enjoy the moment,” she said.

CONECTA gives you five options of things you could do on your next vacation:

Other possibilities include the following apps (some of which have a subscription fee):

• Calm: when you pick a topic, you will be given a short survey to identify the programs that can be adapted to your needs, such as sleep stories, sounds from nature, soundscapes, and relaxing music to help you drift off to sleep.
• Headspace: this is an application that enables you to develop meditation and mindfulness skills.
• Meditopia: this application helps you maintain your mental health and evaluates what you need to create a mindfulness program.
• Petit BamBou: provides meditation, breathing, and sophrology (relaxation through hypnosis) programs, among others, that help you sleep better and cope with your feelings.
• White Noise Lite: This is a free application in which you choose from a range of relaxing sounds like rain and wind.

Another exciting option these days is getting to know your own city or state. You don’t need to go on a trip to have new experiences.

You could visit a museum or connect with nature in a park or reserve near where you live.

3. ‘Take-along’ podcasts

You could take advantage of your days off or time spent traveling to your vacation spot to enjoy a variety of podcasts.

You could find something to relax to or improve your wellbeing on Spotify, such as:

• Entiende tu mente (Understand your mind): recommendations for psychological reconstruction to better understand your mind.
• Medita Podcast (Meditation Podcast): life coach Mar uses meditation as a tool for releasing stress.
• Poder emprendedora (Entrepreneurial Power): wellness entrepreneurship experts engage in conversations that will help listeners achieve a balance between their work and personal lives.
• Dormicast (Sleep Cast): this podcast offers you two daily meditations: one in the morning to wake up energized and one at night to help you rest.

The following podcasts are available on Amazon Music:

• Por el placer de vivir (For the Pleasure of Living): this podcast is presented by César Lozano and offers you topics for personal growth.
• Meditación guiada (Guided Meditation): this podcast provides an opportunity for guided meditation wherever you may be.
• En terapia con Roberto Rocha (In Therapy with Roberto Rocha): interviews with specialists that will help you resolve daily life conflicts.

Furthermore, TecSounds has the following range of podcasts:

• Historias para mentes curiosas (Stories for Curious Minds): learn about the most important scientific breakthroughs and how they impact your environment and your own life.
• Cuida tu mente (Take Care of Your Mind): a program with exercises and routines to help us build a fulfilling life.
• Ola de salud (Health Wave): doctors, scientists and wellness experts from Tec de Monterrey talk about the things that contribute to a healthy, balanced, and happy life.
• Voces al centro (Voices in the Center): a space for dialogue that invites reflection and the construction of an inclusive, safe, sustainable world.
• eduTrends: experts give us insights into innovative pedagogies, technologies, and other educational developments in the service of better learning outcomes.
• Con su permiso (With Your Leave): a critical panel on the current and most pressing economic, social, and political issues in Mexico and the world.
• Territorio negocios (Business Territory): professors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs take a critical look at the latest trends and transformations in the business world.
• The Conscious Capitalists: Timothy Henry and Raj Sisodia, co-founders of the Conscious Capitalism movement, get together to discuss current issues from the perspective of enlightened and conscious students, leaders, and organizations.

4. Take the opportunity to implement a ‘digital detox plan’

Although technology is part of daily life, Marisela Alvarado, psychologist and leader of the Wellness and Counseling Department on Mexico City campus, emphasizes that total disconnection can provide the rest our bodies and minds need.

“Total disconnection means not checking emails; it means trying to use social networks as little as possible, thereby avoiding issues that generate a high degree of uncertainty.

“These levels of uncertainty cause us to experience high levels of anxiety. The feeling of always being available has made us think about the logic of time and space; what time my working day starts and what time it ends,” she explains.

As a recommendation when disconnecting from social networks, the psychologist explains that ‘simple’ things can bring you satisfying days that you can enjoy to the fullest.

“We should try to do things we might enjoy, such as rearranging our house, reorganizing the closet, or finding out if we like plants. If we like cooking, then we could make dishes we enjoy.

“If we enjoy reading, then we could read a book like a short novel that has nothing to do with work. We might also watch a movie. In short, we should try to make our days less complicated,” she recommends.

5. Do some voluntary work

According to Verónica Gámez, national leader of Tec Volunteers, a break from work or school is a great opportunity to get involved in volunteer work since this type of activity lets you internalize and get to know yourself.

“Through this connection with the community, the benefit of engaging in volunteer work is the creation of an environment that is conducive to human flourishing. Being able to give back to the community lets you internalize and get to know yourself.”

Here are some platforms or applications where you can find volunteer opportunities either in person or online:

• VolunteerMatch: this platform makes it possible to search for a volunteer opportunity either in person or online.
• Idealist: lists the volunteer activities closest to your city, in addition to offering online opportunities.
• Be My Eyes: you will be able to make video calls with blind or visually impaired people to help them with things like making food, checking if the lights in the house are on, recognizing colors, and so on.

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