Happy Holidays or … Not?
A lot of people LOVE this time of year – all the pretty decorations and holiday parties to attend where you can feast in a festive atmosphere among friends, coworkers or family.
However, most of us have a few challenges during this season. Our holidays may not all be happy – there’s the mounting bills created during this month, travel plans, endless shopping, decorating and cooking. Being invited to parties sounds wonderful until you are trying to balance 2-3 events, often occurring in the same week.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed – there’s so much to DO, to SEE and to experience. We want to make this year memorable with special events – don’t we try to do that every year? I know I do.
So how do you keep your “Happy” in the holiday season?
Pace yourself – take it easy. Pay attention to signs from your body that you need a break. Here’s a clue: If you’d rather go take a nap than go to an event, do it. Take a nap. That will give you more focus and energy for the days ahead – believe me, you’re gonna need it. 🙂
Drop the guilt – people often tell me how guilty they feel if they turn down an invitation from a friend or family member during the holiday season. The point of the holidays is LOVE, not guilt. No one who really loves you wants you to feel guilty if you don’t come to their event. If they give you a guilt trip, that’s NOT LOVE, that’s manipulation. The ones who love you will understand. Really. Trust me on this. Go see them AFTER the holidays – you’ll probably have better quality time with them that way.
Remember the joy – I make a point of pacing myself during the holidays so that I can remember the joy of the season. What’s the point if the holidays just bring stress? I don’t need more of that in my life. What I need is JOY – so I make time for it. Simple things like: If I see beautiful lights on someone’s house, I pause and really take it in, letting the colors and designs delight me. When I’m having my favorite hot drink, I pause, close my eyes and savor the warm, steamy scent wafting from my cup before I take a slow sip, allowing myself to embrace the flavor and the moment. These are just simple examples of taking time for joy in every day life – you can apply this to many of your holiday experiences.
The point? Be fully present to enjoy the “Present” of the moment.
Remember to take care of you – both physically through getting enough sleep and nourishment and emotionally, through monitoring your stress levels. As I’ve learned to practice these steps, I’ve begun to enjoy the holidays instead of dreading them. You can too.
Many people will be making New Year’s Resolutions in a few weeks. Having a Life Coach can really help you beat the odds so that you actually achieve your resolutions instead of giving up on them! Give me a call – let’s set a date in January to go over your hopes and dreams for the New Year. I also offer Gift Certificates if there’s someone to whom you’d like to give the gift of Life Coaching – send me an email for details.  Phone: 305-781-6229, destiny.journey@gmail.com
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