Here are some great ways to connect with others, engage in self-care, and have a little fun!

Lying in a hammock, reading poetry, and listening to nature sounds are all great ways to enjoy life this week!

This week has several fun holidays and observances that you can use as a springboard to activities that will bring you greater happiness and connection to others, and fun ways to relieve stress and build resilience.

(NOTE: If you are reading this post after these dates have passed, you can still use these ideas as ways to bring a little joy into your life. For example, nobody says you can only use the phrase “yada yada yada” on Saturday, July 23rd!)

There are three main foci (it seems odd, but really, that’s the plural of “focus”) to the observances this month: relationships, self-care, and fun. Here is why it is really worth your time to focus on these areas of life:

• Relationships: Healthy or unhealthy, our relationships can affect our health, happiness, and life satisfaction. When they are lacking, they can increase the stress in our lives, which can affect us in many ways. When they are strong and supportive, they can make us more productive, make our lives more meaningful, and literally give us extra years.
• Self-Care: Self-care is vital to our own wellbeing and, interestingly, to our relationships as well. (As you probably know, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t give your best to your loved ones if you’re at your worst.) Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of others, so making time for self-nurturing is anything but frivolous.
• Fun: Having fun is a great stress reliever, and it’s also a key to less stress, greater happiness, and better health. Part of why is that it creates what researcher Barbara Fredrickson refers to as an “upward spiral of positivity,” which is a mechanism that we can trigger in our lives that leads to better days and greater resilience to stress.

Here are some suggestions for observing these holidays this week: 

Monday (July 18th)

• Perfect Family Day: There are limitless types of “perfect families,” and each family can be perfect in their own way. You can make yours perfect by focusing on modeling respect, setting healthy boundaries, offering support, and caring about the feelings of every member of the family. Here are some ways to improve communication.
• Global Hug Your Kids Day: Hugging your kids–whether you are cuddling an infant or hugging your grown kids–can help them to feel supported and give everyone a boost of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes connection and happiness. Give extra hugs today. (And if you don’t have kids nearby or at all, hug those near and dear to you.)
• National Get Out of the Dog House Day: This holiday was initially invented by a florist (no agenda there!) but is a great time to remember the importance of making amends and repairing relationships that could be stronger. Here’s why apologies are important.
• World Listening Day: This holiday was created to remind us of the benefits of listening to the sounds of the world–nature sounds–but it can also be a reminder to be a good listener. Listening to nature sounds can be a great way to relieve stress, though, so I would recommend that you get out in nature today if you at all can, and if you’re not able to, listen to nature sounds and meditate for a few minutes–both activities can reduce your stress levels and help you have a better day–or week, even!

Tuesday (July 19th)

• National Words with Friends Day: This game was all the rage a few years ago, but for many, their love of the game is still going strong. To celebrate, I would encourage you to either play the game with someone (if you’ve never played) or find a new game that you can play with friends, long-distance or in person. The reason this is a great idea is that it connects you with others, gives you a little dose of fun, and keeps your mind sharp, all things that are important in life.

Wednesday (July 20th)

• International Chess Day: You can observe this using an app and friends across the hall or across the globe, or you can play another game if chess isn’t your thing. The benefits are mentioned above. 
• Take Your Poet to Work Day: This is a goofy but great observance! It was originally established to get people to bring a cardboard cutout or paper photo of a friend with them to work, literally, to spark discussion and bring poetry to the front of mind. If you’re not into that (or don’t work in an office), you can make your favorite poet your background in Zoom calls or post their photo on social media. It’s a fun way to connect and discuss poetry–a great tool for self-expression. 

Friday (July 22nd)

• National Hammock Day: Remember the importance of self-care and taking a break from stress? This is a great day to do just that. Today, I recommend that you lie in your hammock if you have one, consider getting that hammock if you’ve always wanted one, or just take a break and relax in a comfortable place. Spread the fun and take a selfie if you like! 

Saturday (July 23rd)

• International “Yada Yada Yada” Day: Yes, if you’re a Seinfeld fan and were wondering, this holiday was inspired by that episode of the show! It’s also a great way to keep things lighthearted and remind yourself to laugh with a good friend. Ways to celebrate include watching old episodes of Seinfeld with friends (especially if you have no idea what I’m talking about), working “yada yada yada” into conversations, and (if you really want a fun activity for the weekend), do what I did and complete this epic Seinfeld Lego set! 

Sunday (July 24th)

• National Parent’s Day: This is a great holiday to celebrate parents and their importance. It’s also great for you (if you have kids or parents that you are in contact with or with whom you have a healthy relationship) because you can feel closer to your parents (by celebrating them), your kids (by letting them know how much you love being their parent), or both. If you have such a relationship, I recommend calling, sending a card, giving a hug, or making another gesture that will help you feel more connected. (If you have lost a parent or child, I am sorry for your loss. This could be a day of remembrance.)
• Tell an Old Joke Day: This observance is intended to keep knock-knock jokes, “a man walks into a bar” jokes, and other dad-type jokes alive while giving everyone a good laugh in the process. I recommend that you tell a good old-timey joke today, or invent a new one!
• International Self-Care Day: This is a great day to take good care of yourself. This could mean sitting down with a good book, taking a warm bath, attending a yoga class (if you like yoga), or even making a list of self-care activities you’d like to enjoy more often, and scheduling them now. Whatever feeds your soul, make time for it today.

This is a lot to think about, so you may want to refer back to this post throughout the week, or just pop some of these ideas on your calendar now. You can also download this free Self-Care Idea Calendar or get more information about stress management from my book, 8 Keys to Stress Management. Either way, have a great week!