The Holidays are here, and it feels wonderful. The joy of getting together with family and enjoying neighborly festivities. This wonderful time can get to be a very busy time as well where the holidays seem to pass us by. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are three of our guidelines for spending a wonderful holiday season.
1. Be Aware
Awareness is such a powerful skill and from what we have seen, it can be the difference between making or missing the mark. We live in an extremely busy society and distraction has become very commonplace. As a result, many people make poor choices when it comes to the foods they put in their bodies, they ignore the people they love the most, and struggle with productivity. To practice awareness just be extremely aware of your choices during this holiday season…
- The foods/drinks you put in your body
- The time you allocate to be with your family
- The money you spend
The attitude that shows up when traveling - The amount of physical activity
- The people you interact with
Your task is to ask yourself questions as you engage in any of the above activities.
“How does this decision serve me? Does this energize me? Does it help me create a wonderful holiday season? Is there a better choice I can make? ….” Just be aware and pay attention.
2. Focus on more than the food
Often during the holidays people spend more time focusing on what they put in in their mouth than on what comes out of their mouth by means of conversation. The key to a wonderful holiday is to become distracted by something other than highly caloric items. Spend time playing games, telling stories, singing, dancing, and having fun! The more time you spend doing something outside of eating, the easier it will be to avoid another unhealthy holiday season.
Feel free to play a new family game, go on a family hike, do an art project, sing songs, dance around the house, etc. Holidays are intended to create new traditions so use this time wisely because when looking back you will be overjoyed with the memories that you captured.
3. Be generous
One of the best ways to feel cheerful this time of year is to act generously with your loved ones, colleagues, and friends. This does not mean you need to spend a ton of money or do outlandish things, but the act of giving is the most rewarding experience you can create for yourself.
Whether this means giving your time, a small gift, writing a note or simple expressing gratitude. You can define generosity however it is best for you, but during this holiday season, make a commitment to experience the gift of helping the people you care about most. This is the ultimate solution to creating a wonderful holiday!
To get started take the first 5-10 minutes of each day and keep these reserved for yourself. Close your eyes, take several deep breaths and meditate or relax. Imagine yourself in a beautiful place, think of a happy memory and clearly visualize and feel the emotion of yourself giving generously to yourself and others. We are telling you – this will TRANSFORM your day.
As Anne Frank so eloquently said, “No-one has ever become poor by giving.”
Take these three guides and follow them during the holiday season. Regular practice will give you the best result and a very special Holiday Season.
From our Family to yours we wish you a very happy and merry holiday filled with joy!