Testing, Testing 123…
Okay, I know I already did a blog post today, but I’m testing a new feature with my wordpress, so I trust that you’ll indulge me. By way of making this worth your while, I do want to offer you something of value. So let me share a thought or two…
The holidays are fast approaching, and for many of you, I know you’re already feeling stressed. I always find that disturbing, since I believe that the holidays aren’t meant to be stressful. They’re meant to be a time of celebration, a time of rejoicing, a time of connecting. No matter who you are or what faith you subscribe to or what traditions you hold, the holidays aren’t meant to send you into a state of nervous prostration. So, in an effort to help alleviate some of the holiday nuttiness for you, here are some coping strategies that you might consider utilizing:
- Ask yourself, what’s important about the holidays for you? What do they represent? Family? Feasting? Peace? Sharing? Whatever your answer, use it to determine which activities you’ll engage in and which you won’t.
- Carve out time to be still, even while you plan to carve the turkey (or whatever other festive meal is yours). Stillness can be a wonderful refresher. And sipping hot tea while watching the snow fall can be the ultimate stillness experience it. Savour it.
- Reconnect with your inner child. Go out and make a snowman, snow angels or even just enjoy a snowy walk. A snowy walk at nighttime can be especially magical.
- Pick a holiday theme and plan your gift-giving around that. For example, if you choose to focus on “family fun” , purchase board games as gifts for all. Got classic literature on the brain? Hit the bookstore and buy great books for one and all. Feeling into the comfy-cozy? Pyjamas are a fabulous gift for young and old alike. Picking a theme can minimize the shopping frenzy.
- Remember: traditions are valuable, but only if they matter to you and bring value and meaning to your life. So, if having a big turkey dinner with all the fixin’s just isn’t your thing — if it gives you heart palpitations just to think of it — find another tradition that has more meaning and value for you.
Bottom-line: the holidays, no matter what they are, are a fabulous time to celebrate and share. But they’re only fabulous if you feel fabulous and enjoy the experience. Do what you can to eliminate the stress and reclaim the spirit. Make this a holiday to treasure.
It is Almost Holiday Time: Can you Handle It?
The holidays are quickly approaching. Whether your celebration revolves around Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali or something else altogether, the time that is bookended by Halloween and New Year’s always seems to be filled with a hustle-and-bustle of activity. There are parties to plan for, gifts to purchase, cards to be mailed, baking and cooking to be undertaken – the to-do list seems to grow exponentially. Simultaneously, the feeling of overwhelm seems to swell.
So, how does one get through the holidays without feeling burnt-out by the end of it all? Believe it or not, there is a way. It’s called “playing a different game”. That’s right. It’s time to rewrite the holiday rules so that you can move through the festivities without losing your sense of perspective, your experience of joy, and the “happy” in “happy holidays”. To help you out, here are 5 tried-and-true steps to follow:
1. Ask yourself, what is it that you want to EXPERIENCE?
So often we focus on the trappings – the gifts, the food, the decorations – that we forget what we really want to feel. Maybe it’s “meaning”, or “memories”, or “fun”. Whatever it is, find the word that resonates for YOU.
2. Brainstorm ways to infuse the holidays with the particular quality that’s
important to you. For example, if you want your holidays to be about “memories”, plan activities to support this. Perhaps you provide a disposable camera and mini-scrapbook for everyone. Or maybe you come up with a theme for this year so that forever after, 2007 is known as the Christmas of _________. Get creative; after all, this is about rewriting the rules!
3. Lose the sense of guilt. “They’ll expect a big gift”, “But I have to spend a certain amount”, “They won’t like a homemade card”, are all examples of the external expectations which we take on internally. It’s time to let these go. Remember, if you want the holidays to provide a certain experience for you, then it’s up to you to set the parameters that will allow such an experience to be real.
4. Get comfortable with being different. This may be a challenging idea, but in many ways, it is the key. Stop trying to be like everyone else. Make the holidays unique and representative of you, so that you’re not trying to be the square peg fitting into a round hole.
5. Find a structure to help you remember the essence of what you’re going for. Perhaps you wear a treasured piece of jewelry as a reminder of the memories you want to create. Or maybe a pair of reindeer antlers becomes your token accessory as you strive to infuse the holidays with fun.
Bottom-line: identifying how you want the holidays to be is the first step to experiencing a truly happy holiday. Once you know what you want to experience, then you can choose the activities that will help you live that out. Trust me – the holidays aren’t meant to be a time of stress. My wish for you is that you feel able to wish everyone a “happy holiday” and mean it. Have fun rewriting your holiday rules. May your holiday experience be exactly what you’re looking for. Wishing you a joyful, meaningful, fun-filled holiday time – and yes, I absolutely mean it ? !