Happy Leap Day! What Will You Do With Your Bonus Day?

We are lucky enough to get an extra day this year and you know what that means? An extra 24 hours for great things to happen!

What is Leap Day?

First of all, I think it’s important to explain why Leap Day is even a thing...you know, in case you get this question at your next Trivia Night or something. Not everyone knows why Leap Year even exists. One extra day every four years? What’s the purpose?

Well, I’m a third-grade teacher and we know these kinds of things so I’ll tell ya. We all know that there are 365 days in a year, right? Actually, that’s wrong. There are officially 365.25 days in a year. Therefore, every four years we need to make those four ‘quarter days’ count.

This all ensures that we make up for that time without getting our months and seasons all messed up over time, which is a good thing. It would be strange for it to be cold in June for most of us, right? Now ya know!

Why one extra day matters

You might be thinking...um it’s just another day, Andrea. But, is it? Something I hear a lot from people is that they wish they had just one more day. One more day with a lost loved one, one more day of vacation, one more day off, or for those of us with macular degeneration...one more day to just see the world around us .

This one bonus day is a gift if you ask me. And I plan to soak up every minute of it.

What we can do with our bonus day

Practice gratitude

An extra day to see and live? Yes, please, and thank you! One of my favorite ways to practice gratitude is to send a few texts, emails, or even snail mail cards telling my most favorite people thank you for something they’ve done to make my life better...or telling them all the ways I think they’re amazing and why my life would not be the same without them. This is easy and free! And hopefully, it makes them feel special...I know it feels really good to do!

Help someone else

Is there a better way to feel good about an extra day? Lend a helping hand. I do this best in small ways. Sometimes I send the kids over to bring in a neighbor’s trash cans or I bake something and deliver it to a friend or someone in need of a smile.

Relax

My life is go, go, go...so I can’t think of a better way to spend an extra 24 hours than to relax at least a little bit! Relaxing isn’t always an easy task for me because my to-do list is usually a mile long! But, I’m learning the art of relaxing and finding the benefit of rest actually helps me rejuvenate so I can accomplish my list in more productive ways.

Try something new

Take a leap of faith (see what I did there?)! There’s never a better time to start doing that thing you’ve always wanted to do! You never know what doors it will open up for you. A cooking class is on my list for new things to try! I want to find one specific for cooking Mediterranean food!

Treat yourself

Make the day memorable! Do something for YOU that you don’t normally do and enjoy. Mani/pedi or a fancy cupcake anyone? How about that new pair of sunglasses you’ve been wanting to splurge on for our precious eyes? That tattoo you've been wanting? These are all great ways to rejuvenate so we can conquer anything life throws at us!

Make Leap Day count

This year, we all get the gift of an extra day. Let’s make it count! Also, Leap Day happens to fall on a Saturday this year so if doing great things means laying in your bed all day watching Netflix, then go for it. That sounds pretty great to me!

Happy Leap Day!

Andrea Junge