Tips for Getting the Most out of the Holiday Season

Each year we start to see articles pop up everywhere about holiday stress and how to survive.  This year we’d like to take an optimistic stance and set ourselves up for a wonderful experience.

Focus on the journey

What we really mean is let an experience be your gift. Childhood memories and adult memories are built on things we have done and people we have shared them with.  A gift of snowshoeing, dance lessons, or maybe just an IOU for a home cooked meal when someone needs a break. Being kind and thoughtful is what really matters. An afternoon creating that terrarium with a friend will mean more than a scented candle.  The laughs, the fun and the social connection builds a bond and it is a priceless gift.

Relax

The one thing most of us never have is time to relax and just be.  Use the time during the holidays to have that much needed pajama day.  Enjoy binge watching on Netflix or reading that book that has been sitting on the shelf waiting for you. Use those things you have been saving for a special occasion like that specialty soap, beautiful candle or a bottle of wine. This is your special occasion. Relax, rejoice and restore.

Meditate

Whether you are a veteran or a newbie, the holidays are the perfect time to meditate.  You can try something new with a tapping meditation from Jessica Ortner for a stress-free family gathering.   

Tapping is Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as EFT.  A great website for more information and some tapping exercises is The Tapping Solution.

Tapping therapy is based on the combined principles of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Tapping with the fingertips on specific meridian endpoints of the body, while focusing on negative emotions or physical sensations, helps to calm the nervous system, rewire the brain to respond in healthier ways, and restore the body’s balance of energy…..(The Tapping Solution)

Stay Positive

No need to anticipate what hasn’t happened or may not happen at all.  Search out the happy moments and choose to focus on those.  Giving less energy to the negative things can help you take you power back and see the holidays through a different lense. Staying positive leaves little room for the negative energy or others that can weigh us down.  Stay in the moment and enjoy.