Mindful Moments = Happier Holidays
‘Tis the Season to be Jolly. Fa la la la la la la………UGH!!!
In this time of Peace, Joy and Gratitude, we can find ourselves anything but. With the pressure to buy more gifts, donate more time, attend more parties, eat more, drink more, AND get all your year-end goals and responsibilities met, the Holiday Season can end up being one filled with stress, remorse, and a sense of “never-enough”.
Mindfulness gives us some incredibly simple, yet powerfully effective tools to manage and mitigate the Holiday stress so that we can tap into the Spirit of the Season! Here are a couple practices that take only a few minutes but can change your whole day!
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Mindful Check-in
(Great for anytime as we head into the Holidays)
- Close your eyes (if you can). Take 4-5 full, deep breaths. Relax a little with each exhale. Like the bits in a snowglobe, let your mind and body settle with each breath.
- Notice whatever is present for you right now and see if you can just let it be as it is, without judging it or needing to change it. Relaxed, stressed, worried, sad, frustrated….just let it be. It’s not a problem.
- Now, let your mind move to the weeks ahead, the holidays, and notice what you feel. Is there excitement? Dread? Worry? Sadness? Gratitude? Whatever is there, notice it, breath naturally, and let it be just as it is. You don’t have to change it or fix it.
- Come back to focusing on the breath after a few moments. There is nothing else you need to do for these few moments, nowhere to be. You can simply relax, and enjoy your breath.
- Bring your attention to yourself now. Knowing that you will be engaging in upcoming personal and work activities for the holidays, send yourself some well-wishes, just like you would send a friend good wishes at a difficult time. You might say in your mind “May you be calm and at peace” or “May you be stress-free and happy”. Repeat this a few times or as long as you like.
- Bring your attention back to the breath again and notice how you feel in your mind and in your body. Are you more calm, steady, relaxed? Is there a place in your body that feels very at ease. Notice that.
- As you are ready, open your eyes. Remember throughout your day, that sense of calm or ease that you felt. You can always come back to it.
Gratitude practice…
(When you find yourself thinking you don’t have enough…money, time, energy, etc.)
- Take a moment to close your eyes gently. Tune into your breath and take 3 or 4 full deep inhales and exhales. Then let your breath just be natural and bring your awareness to the center of your chest.
- Now, think of all the things you have. Start with the basic things: a house to live in, food in your pantry, clothes to wear, a warm jacket, a job, clean water and air. Let yourself appreciate these basic needs that are met in your life, that you don’t have to worry too much about.
- Now think about the friends you have, your family (even if they are difficult to deal with!), your pets. Sense an appreciation growing in the center of your chest.
- Now, think of the “extra” things you have that you are grateful for…..a car, a cell phone, a television, extra clothes, perhaps some fun toys like skis, or a bike. Let your sense of gratitude for all the things you have begin to grow.
- Notice where you feel this in your body? Is it in your chest, your head, your heart? What does it feel like? Is it warm, soft, spacious, open, light? Really tune into what Gratitude “feels like” and then soak in it for another minute or so, like you would soak in a bath.
- When you are ready, open your eyes and see if you can bring this quality of Gratitude into your day, your relationships, your actions. Notice how this shifts your experiences.
- Whenever you feel like something is “lacking” or that you don’t have “enough”, come back to this feeling of Gratitude.
Try these practices and see how you feel! And have a Mindful & Happy Holiday Season!
With Love & Gratitude, Lauri Glenn & Bodhi Therapeutics