Mindful holidays: how less can be more
12 Dec 2018
For many of us the holiday season starts with joyous expectation and with the intention of “making it different this year” but soon turns into the usual marathon of shopping, decorating, baking, meeting friends, writing cards, attending Christmas events. The magic turns into madness.
To make this time of the year more meaningful and less of a race, we can try to do less, cook less, buy less, decorate less and still have beautiful and meaningful holiday season.
Here few suggestions to draw your focus away from the commercial sides and toward the true meaning of Christmas: love, connections, hope and peace.
SLOW DOWN
Take the time to slow down, say no if it is too much, check in with yourself, and appreciate the present moment.
KEEP FEW MEANINGFUL FAMILY TRADITIONS
Every holiday we tend to have high expectations, we want to create the idyllic magic for everyone, ticking the box of every possible family traditions. However the magic happens when there is the space to make it happen.
Repetition is a wonderful way to root yourself in the present moment unless it becomes a race against time: choose one tradition that is most meaningful to you, whether is baking with your kids, singing Christmas carols, decorating the house together. Having one tradition will simplify the Christmas preparations, while keeping it special and meaningful as every member of the family will be able to cherish it and prepare for it.
DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
Repurpose old decor, pick few items from your garden, your local park or beach, use your children's artworks to make cards or to warp gifts. This does not mean you should not buy presents or that having a Christmas tree or a beautiful and plentiful Christmas table is a waste. It simply means that you should not deplete yourself over presents or decorations. It means you can choose what you spend your energy, time and money on and then do the best you can with what you have.
SHARE THE LOVE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Cultivate appreciation for others and let them know habitually that you are grateful for them and for what they do for you . As you show your love regularly there will be no pressure at Christmas time to remind them how much you love them as they will already know and cherish this.
BE GRATEFUL
Look at the season as a time of nurturing and inner peace and although it might be difficult to keep the regular routine of your wellness practices, set aside a little amount of time to remind yourself of the gifts, grace and good that happened throughout your day. Setting aside time on a daily basis to recall moments of gratitude associated with ordinary events or people you love will instantly improve your mood and help you create mindfulness and calm within you. Take it one step further by ending your day naming one thing you are grateful for today in order to fall asleep placidly and wake up serene.
TURN DOWN TECHNOLOGY
Technology has greatly improved our lives, but also causes us to miss out on family time and on being in the present moment. Complement your holiday rituals with some screen-free time, and even though you may not be documenting every moment of the holidays with family and friends for social media to see, make the most of the present moment.
Presents and decorations are nice but they do not make us happy as happiness needs to be cultivated inside of ourselves. Last but not least, forget all the to do lists , including this one, and enjoy the love around you .