Have a positive start to 2016!
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Thriving not just surviving the holidays!
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season brings excitement and sometimes dread all at the same time. There are parties to go to or not go to, shopping, decorating, spending time with friends and family….oh and unrealistic expectations! Yes, during the holiday season we can set ourselves up for failure by thinking we should be able to perform incredible feats in a single bound. So instead of feeling sick, resentful and exhausted during this happy season why not create a plan for success?! Yes, thrive during the holiday season instead of just surviving.
Set Obtainable Goals
Can you really be in 3 places at once? Remember every time you say yes to something it means saying no to something else. Don’t over schedule yourself or your family. Take a look at what needs to be done and the time that you have to do it in. Establish priorities and let go of the extras.
Choose One Holiday Activity Just For You
Have you always wanted to take that Christmas baking class or learn how to create a holiday urn? Save a little vacation time and sign yourself up. Take a break to do something that replenishes your emotional bank account. Plan it early so that nothing else gets in the way. You will be thankful that you did.
Limit sugar and alcohol
As tasty as those sugar cookies or glass of wine might be they can actually drain our energy and create a bit of a boomerang effect with our mood. For those of us who love food we have to strategize on how to avoid too much sugar during the holidays. Here are a few good tips from blogger Stephanie Stiavetti from The Culinary Life to help. It’s not about depriving yourself….as they always say, anything in moderation.
Stick to your budget
Thoughtful gifts don’t need to be expensive. Do it yourself essential oil roller balls or bath bombs can be used for sore muscles, to uplift mood or as help for a pounding head. Who wouldn’t love a low maintenance mason jar terrarium you made yourself!? Maybe a gift certificate for a nice dinner at your house or a few hours of babysitting to help a new mom have a break. Be creative but don’t break the bank! We have listed lots of great DIY ideas on our Holiday Pinterest board to get you started.
Spend time with the people you enjoy being with
We can spend so much time trying to fit everyone in but sometimes the people that give us the most joy can get left out. The friend who you’ve been trying to catch up with, your partner who you never seem to have couple time with, or your neighbour who makes you smile with their amazing life stories. Choose who you spend time with wisely and give yourself permission to limit the activities that don’t make you happy. Incorporate these strategies and you should be well on your way to thriving this holiday!
Resources
Culinary Classes at Willow Cakes and Pastries, Niagara on the Lake http://www.willowcakes.ca/events-culinary-classes/
Winter floral arranging Workshops, The Watering Can, Vineland https://www.thewateringcan.ca/shop/workshops
Sugar Addiction: Avoiding Sugar During The Holidays, The Culinary Life https://www.theculinarylife.com/2009/avoiding-sugar-during-the-holidays/
25 Essential Oil Rollerball Blends and Recipes for Families, Blog: Redefined Mom http://redefinedmom.com/essential-oil-rollerball-blends-recipes-for-families/
Thriving During the Holidays, LSA Pinterest board, https://www.pinterest.com/lidkeas/thriving-during-the-holiday-season/
6 Essential Tips for Surviving the Holidays, Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-tsilimparis/6-essential-tips-for-surv_b_6116234.html
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Finding Hope
We are living in a time where we are constantly bombarded by negative images and stories in the media. Even for the most mentally healthy and positive people it can have an impact. According to Wikipedia Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large.
So how do we find hope when our world seems like a dark and angry place? It is remarkably easier than we think. There is hope all around us. The co-worker who is about to have their first child, the sunny day in the middle of winter, the friend who is starting an exciting new business or the neighbour who asks you to come over for tea just because they enjoy your company. Hope is there and we don’t have to look too far to find it. The problem is that despair is there too.
Lately I have consciously chosen not to watch the news about the recent violence happening overseas. It is not that I am not compassionate to others or that I don’t want to be aware but seeing the images over and over is too difficult, too hopeless. I instead choose what I expose myself too. I filter the amount of violence and trauma that I view.
Information is out there to help understand the facts and not include the media sensationalism that sometimes follows a story. I choose to believe there is hope because honestly the alternative is not a possibility I want to entertain. Hope means looking for a positive outcome in some way.
In an article Live, Give, Love and Learn: 10 Places to Find Hope they suggest opening up to others and letting them know you need them or “find hope in love“. We can find things in our daily lives to be grateful for. Another place is to “Find hope in the least expected places.”
In an article Finding Hope by Psychology Today the author Karyn Hall states that when we feel hopeless people can become passive and apathetic. She suggests doing small things that can make a difference such as doing something different from your daily routine or performing an act of kindness. Creating hope is something we can do for ourselves in a very purposeful way.
In my search for something hopeful that might inspire our readers I found an exceptional Ted Talk. With over 22 million views this amazing Ted Talk from Brene Brown is worth watching. She talks about expanding perception. A researcher/storyteller, she describes herself as seeing that “life is messy, clean it up, organize it and put it into a Bento box.”
So grab a cup of tea and spend 20 minutes listening to a very funny, hopeful talk that looks at the power of vulnerability and set your intention to be hopeful and powerful in your own way.
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