I felt blessed and appreciative to spend quality time with my sister, my brother-in-law and my 6-year old niece over the Christmas period. Spending time with my niece was a positive reminder on the most important things in life that are often overlooked as adults.

1. Savour the moment: My niece was highly enthusiastic and engaged at what she was doing at the time. To the point, that she allowed no-one to distract her from the task at hand. It is the same for us as adults when we are in flow. It is a wonderful feeling to be super focused and enjoy the task at hand. Being in the flow allows us to enjoy the present moment and avoid distractions.

2. Nutrition: My niece only eats when she is hungry and she is decisive about what she will eat and when. She eats a lot of blueberries, strawberries, yoghurt, rice, raw and cooked vegetables, salad along with a variety of protein sources.

As adults, we can often fall into a cycle of either not eating for long periods of time due to being busy or having meals because of the time of day. Eating when you are hungry avoids one overindulging in snacks and meals throughout the day and provides you with the energy to successfully manage your day. It can also increase your enjoyment and help you to become more selective of the food you are eating.

3. Social Connections: Sienna is a social butterfly and a very confident child. Watching her interact with all of her friends and her parents at the fireworks on New Years Eve reminded me of the importance to have fun and laugh more.

As Tennessee Williams suggests: “True friends are the people in your life who make you laugh louder, smile brighter and live better”.

Positive social connections are important for our general and brain health in terms of flexibility and building our resilience. Further, it is imperative to reduce anxiety and depression, boost our self-esteem and helps us to develop greater levels of empathy. (Psychology Today, 2025).

I had long forgotten the joy and happiness of spending time with children as I am often in the company of adults. For those who do have an opportunity to spend quality time with young one’s, I encourage you do so and reflect upon how you feel afterwards and if they too remind you of important life lessons.

To attest this point, Tony Robbins explains: “Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process”.