by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa

The holiday season signifies such a special time of year and hopefully most of you will have time to rest and recoup after the busy year. As an entrepreneur it is so important to take a well-deserved break without feeling guilty!

But how many of us will truly “switch off”? Do you find it easy to relax and forget about your business? I don’t really mean forget about it…but not to allow it to consume your mind whilst you’re supposed to be lounging pool-side and drinking pineapple drinks!

But how do you do that?

Firstly, switch off your daily alarm. Go for a morning walk but whenever you wake up. Don’t feel guilty when you want to sleep in. Try and break away from you usual routine.
Don’t check your email! Almost no one is sending emails of importance this time of year. Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything except promotional emails!
Get in touch with nature. Do take walks…by the beach, on the mountain, wherever you find yourself. Evening walks are also great as in South Africa it gets dark quite late in summer.
Forget about lists. We all love making lists…grocery lists and lists for our business etc. But this time of year…just forget it!
Have days when you do absolutely nothing…yes, nothing. Go with the flow
Watch romantic Christmas Movies. Corny…but most of us love those tearjerkers!
Books. Take some time to read, whether a novel or a book to help your business along.
Have lunch and dinners with friends and family. Make time to reconnect and rebuild long-lost relationships
Laugh till you cry. I find that a good laugh is medicine for the soul. Watch comedy shows and challenge your family members to see who can tell the funniest jokes. Hehe!
Daydream a little. When last did you do that? I remember as a child I used to daydream in class a lot! It stimulates your imagination and creativity
Read through magazines. This sparks new ideas for product development.
Empty your mind. Have a notebook close to jot down all your ideas. This grows anticipation and hope for fresh products for the New Year.
Start a visual journal. Cut out and tear out pictures and colours that inspire you and start a paste them in a book. Keep this book close as great ideas come at any time!
Take long, scenic drives and drink in our wonderful landscapes and sights
Oh and please also take some afternoon naps!

For the next few weeks, rest, take time off and relax. You deserve it. The only thing you’re supposed to be thinking about right now…is what snack to prepare for your ravenous kids!

Lizl Naude is the founder of Lilly Loompa in South Africa, a company that creates beautiful and usable products made with recycled material. Lilly Loompa's “Rubbish Range” is the result of Lizl's craving to deliver pieces that are completely "green". Lizl is a self-taught designer and initially started designing and making furniture because she couldn’t afford to buy new pieces to furnish her home. She started to scout and source for budget material and quickly realised that most people discard of very usable materials. The company manufactures a variety of products, from storage holders, lamps, to dinner table accessories, among others. All materials are carefully sourced from waste and sustainably reimagined as beautiful, yet purposeful products. Eco-friendly, handcrafted and 100% South African, each Lilly Loompa piece, once trash, is now a meaningful piece of treasure.