Now that I’m heading into my late-30s, I have noticed that my personality has changed quite a bit over the past decade. Maybe even more than the decade preceding it. It’s strange to discover that I no longer care about the things I thought would be important to me forever and to find myself deeply entrenched in topics and hobbies that I was never drawn to before.

While I never thought this was unique to me, I did think that this seismic shift in my personality was perhaps the last significant one I’d experience in my life. I mean, how many times can a person change and still be themselves?

However, some psychologists believe that we have five personality factors, called the ‘Big Five’ that stay with us throughout our lives. These are:

• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Neuroticism
• Openness

Psychology Today explains: “Individual personalities are thought to feature each of these five broad traits to some degree. When the traits are measured, some people rate higher, and others rate lower: Someone can be more conscientious and less agreeable than most people, for instance, while scoring about average on the other traits. These traits remain fairly stable during adulthood.

“People can also differ on the more specific facets that make up each of the Big Five traits. A relatively extroverted person might be highly sociable but not especially assertive.”

A study published in Communications Psychology has challenged the long-held belief that the Big Five stay relatively stable throughout our lives.

In the initial part of the study, researchers surveyed 887 people who rated the Big Five traits as some of the most stable

Then, in a follow-up analysis of data from eight large-scale longitudinal data sets involving 166,971 individuals across the United States, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, researchers were presented with a very different story.

The study found that levels of neuroticism, openness and extraversion drop overall from age 15 to 90, with neuroticism showing the steepest decline. However, agreeableness and conscientiousness tended to increase as people age.

I can attest to this a little myself. I definitely feel calmer as I’ve aged but I am also very set in my routine and prefer my own company. I’ll work on it.

Pedro Pascal has soared to household name status in the 2020s thanks to his work in projects like The Mandalorian, The Fantastic Four and Gladiator II – but arguably, there’s one role in particular that put him on the map above all others.

In 2023, he received widespread praise for his performance as Joel in the dystopian video game adaptation The Last Of Us, earning him an Actor Award and nominations at the Golden Globes and Emmys.

What might surprise you, then, is the fact that Pedro wasn’t the first pick to play Joel.

During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, Matthew McConaughey claimed he was approached about playing Joel in the hit series, but turned it down as it “wasn’t for me at the time”.

“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” the Oscar winner explained. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life.”

While he conceded that the script was “really good”, and he was “excited” to read it, he ultimately didn’t want to pursue the role any further.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not a huge TV watcher, [but] we pulled off a real coup with True Detective at a time when series were not something that actors like myself or Woody Harrelson would hop over and go do,” he said.

“That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last Of Us was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.”

In 2023, The Last Of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin confirmed that Matthew had been approached about a role in the show, but insisted it wasn’t necessarily a “serious” conversation.

Speaking on the same podcast, he claimed: “It was more of just like, ‘Hey, here’s something we can talk about’[-type situation].”

The Last Of Us is expected to return for its third season in 2027.

We have been romanticising summer flings for a long time. The glitz, glamour and yearning in The Great Gatsby, Summer Lovin’ in Grease and romance in Italy’s countryside in 2017’s Call Me By Your Name.

Sun, sand and sex. What a combo.

There’s some real magic to a summer fling. Long days ending in stunning sunsets, wandering around nature in bright summer sun and lazy picnic evenings can create quite the dreamy experience.

Now, one doctor has revealed that not only are these flings sexy and fun but they could be beneficial to our health and wellbeing. Lovely.

Dr Babak Ashrafi, from Superdrug Online Doctor, reveals the five surprising ways a summer fling is good for your health:

Dr Ashrafi says: “Holiday romances can be a really powerful tool for unwinding. Physical affection, from holding hands and hugging to kissing and sex, triggers the release of oxytocin, often called the ‘bonding hormone’.

“This helps lower cortisol, our primary stress hormone, leaving us feeling calmer and more relaxed.”

I’m getting warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

Sleeping can be difficult during hot weather but according to Dr Ashrafi, your lover could be exactly what helps you to nod off.

He shares: “after intimacy, particularly when we’re feeling emotionally connected and relaxed, the body releases hormones, including oxytocin and prolactin, which help us wind down and prepare for sleep.

“Many people find they sleep more deeply after intimacy, making quality sleep one of the lesser-known physical benefits of a holiday romance.”

We all know the holiday glow. Some of us come back with glowing tans and the palest of us come home with slightly rosier cheeks. However, Dr Ashrafi says that it may not have anything to do with the sunshine.

“People often return from holiday with what we call a ‘holiday glow’, and it’s not always down to the sunshine. Better sleep, reduced stress and the feel-good hormones released during a positive romantic experience can all contribute to healthier-looking skin by reducing inflammation and supporting your skin’s natural repair processes.”

Nothing beats the thrill of a crush. Even if it doesn’t go anywhere, the excitement of somebody being on your mind is a real rush and Dr Ashrafi explains that the rush gives a genuine chemical boost to the body: “Meeting someone new is exciting, and that excitement also triggers a surge of chemicals, including dopamine, our happy hormone, creating feelings of pleasure, motivation and connection.

“This chemical release is why a summer fling can leave you feeling energised, uplifted and happier long after the holiday has ended.”

Dr Ashrafi shares that if your fling happens abroad, you are likely to reap more physical health benefits: “Unlike the romances we experience at home, the ones we have on holiday often revolve around experiences rather than our daily routines.

“Whether it’s exploring a new city together, swimming in the sea or dancing until late, a summer fling can naturally increase your daily movement without it feeling like exercise.”

Former The Office star Lucy Davis has admitted that she’s been taken aback by the outpouring of “kindness and support” she’s received since disclosing that she’s been diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Earlier this week, Lucy shared the personal news in an Instagram post, which she followed up on Thursday night.

“Ok, so the last two days have been utterly overwhelming, in that I had ZERO idea my cancer post would have the attention it did,” she shared. “Truly, I am in shock.

“That said… THANK YOU to everyone for the tremendous amount of kindness and support you have sent me. Good grief, it was emotional! I am trying to go through all the comments on my post – and I’ll get there! Just give me a bit of time.”

She quipped: “Also, to the couple of people who slightly misread the news and commented ‘R.I.P.’, you’ll be delighted to know I am still alive – hurrah!”

Lucy accompanied her comment with a video of herself trying out skateboarding for the first time “to lighten things up”.

In her original post, Lucy explained: “A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, which has metastasised to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.

“The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.”

“As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can,” she explained. “I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that.”

Lucy is best known for her performance as Dawn in Ricky Gervais’ hit mockumentary sitcom The Office.

In the years that followed, her TV work has included parts in Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, in addition to film roles in projects like Shaun Of The Dead and 2017’s Wonder Woman reboot.

Just as we had gotten used to the idea of eating our five-a-day, new research has revealed that, actually, these five a day need to contain a specific micronutrient to be truly effective.

Now, of course, all fruit and vegetables are good for you and there is no reason to cut any out. However, according to the study, undertaken by scientists from Harvard University and the University of Reading, found that many of us aren’t getting the recommended amount of flavanols that we need every day.

Writing on the University of Reading website, Gunter Kuhnie, a Professor of Nutrition and Food Science says: “Flavanols are a group of compounds that are found in many plants – including apples, berries, plums and even beverages such as tea.”

He adds: “People who eat a diet high in flavanol-rich foods may have better memory compared to those who have a low intake. A study also found that people with a low intake of flavanols were at higher risk of heart disease. Overall, there’s convincing evidence that consuming enough flavanols has health benefits.”

Web MD explains: “Flavanols are also called flavan-3-ols or catechins. Black tea, oolong tea, and chocolate are rich in catechins. They’re also found in fruits, including:

• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Peaches
• Apples
• Pears

Speaking to the BBC, Dell Stanford, from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), says how much flavanol is contained in different products depends on where the food is grown, the climate, its ripeness, and how it is stored or processed – and also on who is eating it.

“Small amounts are absorbed directly. Our gut bacteria help break down flavanols into forms the body can use, but everyone’s gut bacteria are different, so the benefits people get from flavanols may vary too.”

The BHF and the British Nutrition Foundation say the best way to support your heart health is to follow established advice to eat a balanced diet containing a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

The BHF also has a quiz for finding out if you have a healthy diet, and tips on improving your diet to improve heart health.

Brb, brewing some green tea.

I’m the type of woman who prefers to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, so when I enrolled in school to become a phone sex operator, I figured it was in my best interest not to mention it to my husband.

To be fair, it’s not something I intentionally set out to do. I was a happily married, middle-aged mom whose days were consumed with a calendar chock full of play dates and PTA obligations and whose nights were spent working as a freelance reporter.

When it came to talking dirty, I was pretty much batting zero. The last time I’d groaned was after stepping on a fidget spinner in the dark during a failed attempt to sneak out of our sleeping 9-year-old daughter’s room without waking her.

But late one night while my other half lay blissfully snoring in our marital bed, I was hunkered down in my home office, just a few feet away, furiously scouring the internet for some jaw-droppingly juicy content to inspire my next story.

I had once again fallen down the internet rabbit hole, and on this particular occasion, I landed smack-dab on the home page of an internet school, which, according to its enterprising young female founders, was the world’s first sex work academy specialising in training the next generation of phone sex operators.

Like most teenagers who grew up in New York City in the 1980s, I was well aware that one press of a switch on the ubiquitous Manhattan cable-TV box led to Channel J, a sexually themed late-night public access station filled with soft-core porn programming and commercials showcasing tanned, half-naked women sporting G-strings and urging viewers to call and engage in what promised to be mind-numbingly hot phone sex.

But that was the’80s, I told myself, a time when people still used phones that were connected to their walls.

How could something as antiquated as phone sex still exist today when free porn was only a search engine away, not to mention more high-tech options for getting off like webcamming were available?

I had so many questions, and although my initial thought was to contact the founders for an interview, my gut told me there was really only one way to get all the answers I was looking for. So, I coughed up $149.99 and registered for Phone Sex 101.

Within moments an email arrived in my inbox with a link to the course and a warning that students had 30 days to complete the six-hour video modules and score 100% on each test or risk losing access.

Graduates earned a certificate of completion suitable for framing, although I was certain when and if my time should come, mine would never see the light of day. We would also gain entry into a secret Facebook group exclusively for students.

The founders were so confident in their training that they offered a money-back guarantee to anyone who completed the course, implemented the lessons, and did not at least double what they paid for the lessons within six months.

I figured I had nothing to lose ― at least financially. On every other level, I wasn’t quite as certain, so I operated in stealth mode, keeping my tutelage under wraps from my family and friends. This is research! I told myself.

Call it a delayed reaction, but that first morning, as I pressed the play arrow on the video tutorial, it dawned on me that despite being nearly half a century old, I had never talked dirty to anyone in my entire life.

It was then that the instructor appeared on screen and said the words I needed to hear: “If you’ve ever told a lie, you can do this.”

We were off to the races.

Each morning after dropping my daughter off at school, I’d head home just in time to kiss my husband goodbye and send him off to work. Then I’d begin my lessons.

I became immersed in a completely foreign world, suddenly realizing the job was way more than simply moaning and groaning and tossing in some provocative language here and there.

I learned there are two ways to present yourself: create a character or portray yourself. Opting for the former literally meant I had to develop a persona from scratch.

For starters, I had to determine which category my character would fall into, ranging from identities like “barely legal” to “MILF” to “ethnic” to “submissive” to “financial dominatrix” ― which involved blackmail and all sorts of pay-to-play activities ― to “woman home alone.” Since I was essentially a woman home alone, I chose that one.

Next, I had to come up with fictionalised details about my character, including a first name that was easy to spell, pronounce and remember to increase my chances of getting repeat callers, as well as my marital status, the city I lived in (ensuring it was one I was familiar with), a high school and college alma mater if applicable, my birthday and corresponding zodiac sign, and most importantly, body measurements. In reality, I didn’t even know all of my own body measurements, but I soon learned it was the first thing many callers would ask.

When it came to character development, one of the most unexpected and time-consuming aspects I encountered was the process of securing legal model photos to use as part of my online profile, since I obviously wasn’t going to use my own.

Finding the images to buy was the easy part ― a quick Google search of “phone sex model images for sale” yielded hundreds of adult website listings where one could snap up image collections of 18-year-old-plus models explicitly for these purposes ― but deciding which model I was going to be turned out to be a challenge.

It took me three days to “shop” for a woman who looked nothing like me and yet I’d feel comfortable enough pretending to be.

In the end, for the bargain price of $11.95, I bought a photo package from a blonde bombshell named Lola containing 100 images in various poses ranging from casually lounging on a bed in lingerie to pretty much fisting herself.

With my character in place, we moved on to how to keep a caller on the phone as long as possible, which was the ultimate goal since you’re paid by the minute.

Much like what I’d learned in my journalism classes at NYU decades earlier, the importance of open-ended and follow-up questions was stressed. “Yes” or “no” questions were a dead end and certainly weren’t going to pay the bills.

We were instructed to ask “How was your day?” instead of “Did you have a good day?” And if someone asked what we were wearing, which inevitably most callers would, more clothing was always better because it ate up time. Building up the moment by dragging it out was the name of the game.

“Remember you are selling minutes ― not sex,” the founders drilled into us, which made me feel somewhat less guilty about how I was spending my days when the recyclables bin was overflowing and the dry cleaning needed to be picked up.

From there, the fetish module taught how to decipher clues as to what a caller might be into since it’s rare they just come right out and say it.

We were also instructed how to assemble a toolbox of props to be kept at arm’s length to help with special effects.

Is your caller begging for a golden shower? Pop open your toolbox, grab that reusable water bottle, and slowly pour its contents into the toilet in an effort to simulate a more genuine performance.

Does someone deserve a spanking? Put that hairbrush to good use by smacking it into your palm flat side down.

Did a caller interrupt your afternoon vibrator session? Reach into your bag of tricks and break out the loudest vibrator you can find (thank you, Amazon Prime).

After retaking a few tests because I didn’t score 100% (I mean, how was I supposed to know that water sports had everything to do with piss and nothing to do with actual water sports?), I received my certificate of completion along with access to the Facebook group where I was able to connect with other students, many of whom had already taken to the phone lines.

This is where I thought my journey would end, but as it turned out, a whole new crop of questions arose, starting with: Could this crash course really make you a pro when it came to phone sex?

There was only one way to find out.

I headed over to the largest online marketplace for phone sex and set up an operator account.

The first time I pressed the “Available for Calls” button, I thought I’d faint. It turned out there was plenty of time for the shock to wear off, as the calls didn’t exactly roll in.

After two days of radio silence, I sought advice from students in the Facebook group who explained the site’s algorithm worked much like other online marketplaces: You essentially had to put up some money to get your listing seen.

I followed their instructions, and on day three my phone rang.

I almost didn’t answer the call, but after reminding myself that, thanks to the online marketplace’s anonymous routing system, whoever was on the other end didn’t know who or where I was and that I could always hang up, I picked up.

The voice on the other end of the line belonged to a soft-spoken man who apologized in advance should he have to hang up unexpectedly, as he was his elderly father’s caregiver. I don’t know what I expected but this certainly wasn’t it.

We began innocently chatting about the news and the weather when he suddenly asked if I was ticklish. I mentally racked my brain to determine what type of fetish he had and in the meantime, found myself admitting I was indeed ticklish.

He asked if I’d mind if he tickled me. I wasn’t exactly sure how that was going to work but I said sure.

When he suddenly began saying “tickle, tickle, tickle” in a playful voice one might use on a child, I burst out laughing only to quickly cover my mouth with my hand so as to not offend him, but apparently my gut reaction was the one he was looking for.

“Louder, don’t be shy,” he whispered and so I got louder. “From your belly,” he said, directing me.

I continued laughing for my eager audience of one when suddenly I heard an elderly man’s voice in the background, calling out for something.

“Gotta go. Thank you. You were amazing,” the caller said and hung up.

A glance at my account revealed our call lasted 15 minutes. At my set rate of $1.69 per minute, after deducting the site’s connection fee and 30% cut, close to $18 would hit my direct deposit.

I had literally laughed my way to the bank.

That’s when my laughter turned to unexpected tears in what I can only imagine was a combination of relief, surprise and oddly a sense of pride. I’d actually done it and not been called out for being some two-bit imposter.

I continued taking calls ― testing out everything I’d learned ― in the mornings and afternoons when I was home alone. Over the course of close to a year, I spoke to more than 100 men and one woman, brought in a couple thousand dollars, and managed to earn a 5-star rating on the phone sex site I used to receive calls.

My customer reviews called me everything from “bright” to a “good conversationalist.” One caller said he “truly cherished his time with such an incredible human being.”

While I hid what I was up to from my husband, I did tell a few girlfriends. While fascinated by my confession, they were not as surprised by my actions as one might think, which should tell you a little something about my impulsiveness and how those closest to me view me.

Keeping such a big secret from my husband haunted me day in and day out, but there never seemed to be a good time to tell him. I mean, is there ever a good time to tell your husband that when he goes to work every day, you engage in phone sex with strangers for money?

Not only was I riddled with guilt, but I also feared he’d bust me before I had a chance to confess.

I knew I would have to come clean with him ― after all, as a reporter, I planned to one day share my experience ― but my biggest concern was he would consider it cheating.

When watching the news or reading the paper, my husband had been known to often proclaim, “The cover-up is worse than the crime,” so around nine months in, I came to the realisation there would never be an ideal time to tell him about what I had been doing. So, I sat him down and told him everything.

Initially, he was silent. Then he was disgusted. In the end, he was primarily concerned about how others would react if they found out. But he was never angry, which was a huge relief.

One day a few months later, I realized all my questions had been answered and so I gave it all up cold turkey.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the level of dedication and commitment and various skill sets one must have in order to earn a living as a professional phone sex operator.

These women are not just one-trick ponies well versed in getting customers off.

They may refer to themselves as “hustlers” and “wallet snatchers,” but many are entrepreneurs in the truest sense of the word, and they have my utmost respect.

From developing a product in the form of their characters to marketing their business to creating additional offerings such as live calls and messaging, recorded MP3s, and virtual goodie bags filled with X-rated images, the most successful operators have to be proficient in social media and online sales promotions, database management and even coding to stand out among their competition, all while providing excellent customer service.

I also understand that not everyone has the privilege to do what I did. For many people, being a phone sex operator (or do any kind of sex work) is not an adventure they can call off any time they choose ― it’s a means of survival. What’s more, not everyone has the positive experiences that I did and, because they need the paycheck, they can’t simply quit.

As for the callers, I assumed they all had a one-track mind and were only in search of one thing: an orgasm. But I soon realized the majority were simply looking for human connection ― something that porn and most other options out there don’t offer.

I discovered people want to feel like they’re being heard, whether they’re sharing the mundane details of their day, mourning the loss of a loved one or waxing poetic about foot worship.

They also want their deepest, darkest desires and kinks to be accepted.

In the real world, society frowns upon and often penalizes those who don’t meet its norms. So at the end of the day, phone sex might truly be the last bastion of acceptance when it comes to living out your fantasies in a judgment-free zone, where there is no risk of rejection and your predilections and desires are entertained or at the very least tolerated.

As for me, the job taught me how to be a better listener, gauge people’s needs, think on my feet, and slow down when all I want to do is speed up. It also taught me to be less judgmental of people’s turn-ons, and that while all of our desires differ, our desire for human connection remains the same.

Every now and then my mind will wander to some of my regular callers, and I wonder whether I ever cross their minds or if they wonder why I vanished into thin air.

To this day, whenever my phone rings with an unknown caller, I pause for a moment, but then I remember I’m retired and send it straight to voicemail.

Jenny Powers is working on a memoir-in-progress, “Smooth Operator: Confessions of an Accidental Phone Sex Vixen.” You can see more of her work here.

This piece was previously published on HuffPost and is being shared again as part of HuffPost Personal’s “Best Of” series.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch.

Director Ally Pankiw has claimed she gave the new Harry Potter series the brush-off when the opportunity to direct an episode presented itself.

Ally has previously directed prolific TV shows like Feel Good and Black Mirror, and on Thursday, shared screenshots of what appeared to be a conversation between herself and a member of her team about US broadcaster HBO’s upcoming adaptation of JK Rowling’s children’s books.

“I have an instinct on the answer but I feel compelled to ask… Harry Potter? Hard no?” they ask, to which she apparently responded: “Absolutely fucking not! Lol (But thank you for asking).”

Fellow filmmaker Kate Herron – who directed the Disney+ series Loki, The Last Of Us for HBO and Netflix’s Sex Education – quickly popped up in the comments, agreeing: “Yeah thank you exactly! Respect and love to you Ally.

“They’ve asked me twice and I’ve had to explain my answer is never gonna change from a no.”

“It simply is this easy to say no to funding transphobia!” Ally also wrote in her post’s caption.

Since it was announced, the Harry Potter series has been met with scrutiny due to Rowling’s involvement in the project as an executive producer.

While Rowling has previously denied being transphobic, she has become a divisive figure in recent history thanks to her views and ongoing commentary on issues relating to transgender people.

This has included repeatedly and intentionally misgendering transgender public figures, as well as donating tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign group which raised the initial legal challenge that led to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling last year that the legal definition of a woman should include only those who were assigned female at birth.

After the ruling, she shared a celebratory post, depicting herself smoking a cigar on a yacht.

The new Harry Potter series will premiere later this year, with cast members including John Lithgow, Nick Frost and Bel Powley among those to already face questioning about Rowling.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Nicholas Hoult will be appearing in season two, prompting backlash from many of his fans.

Day-to-day, you’re rushing between meetings, battling a barrage of emails, and spilling crumbs from your wolfed-down lunch over the laptop you spend your break hovering near.

You might not take many, or any, sick days; though you’re stressed, your immune system seems to be playing ball.

But somehow, the second you get some rest – a well-earned holiday – your body seems to turn against you. You get a cold, or a sore throat, or the type of flu you never seem to experience while working.

If this – or something like it – sounds familiar, it turns out there’s a name for your experience. Professor Mark Schoen, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, coined the term “the let-down effect” to describe negative health effects during conditions like these.

Here’s what Dr Mitra Dutt, Associate Medical Director of Clinical Innovation at Pharmacy2U, says about the phenomenon.

Basically, it’s when a break from stressful or very active periods of your life seems to negatively affect your physical or mental health. Prof Schoen said it could apply to everyone from athletes who’d just reached career high to recent retirees.

Dr Dutt said that “After long periods of pressure, the stress hormones that help to keep us going during these times begin to fall. So a sudden switch to relaxation, such as the start of the holiday, can make hidden illnesses or symptoms quickly start to appear.

“This can trigger things like migraines, increase inflammation and make viral infections, like colds, more noticeable.”

She added this might be more common among “those who are often under sustained pressure, whether that’s to do with their job, lifestyle or other factors such as caregiving responsibilities”.

One study has found that the “let-down effect” seemed to increase the chance of migraine among people who get them.

In his book, When Relaxation is Hazardous to Your Health, Prof Schoen also linked it to flare-ups in chronic conditions like psoriasis and chronic fatigue.

Some doctors think this may happen because stress changes how our immune system works, potentially making it less reactive to illness. And when it’s free to work as usual, it might shut down, leaving us vulnerable to infection.

Dr Dutt shared that “One of the best ways to reduce the risk of the let-down effect is to manage stress before it builds up”.

That can include taking steps like:

1. Having regular breaks,
2. Prioritising sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet,
3. Trying stress-management techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness,
4. Tapering down activity rather than hitting the brakes fully: “stay gently active during the first few days of your holiday, rather than going straight from a hectic schedule to doing nothing,” advised the expert.