5 Tips to Enjoy the Holiday Season
The holidays are here!! We are in the midst of a full-blown holiday season and I could not be happier. This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the scents of Christmas, the food, the time spent with family, the activities, the chill in the air, and I adore buying presents for everyone I’ve ever met.
While it's easy for me to enjoy this season, I also know it’s also easy to get overwhelmed while everything is happening. It’s so important for me to remember to stop and soak it in before it’s over. Here are five tips to fully enjoy this season:
Have a practice in place. This practice should be something that recenters you or calms your brain so you are open to receiving life's little gifts. Your practice could look like a morning meditation, a yoga session, or any kind of exercise. It could also be a morning walk or conscious breathing exercises. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are fully immersed in it, even for just a few minutes. When you're finished you should be able to fully enjoy what's going on around you.
Reach out to your community. Yes, people are busy this time of year. But I am sure you can find another mom who is just as frazzled as you are and could also use a break. Try to squeeze in a play date to decompress; bonus points if it’s just a playdate for adults. (Check out this blog post on Creating Community as a Mom!)
Plan for the holiday break. It is insanely difficult to have your kids home from school while you still have a million things to do in order to have the most epic holiday. Try to get the things done before school lets out that cannot be done while they are home. For example: finish your shopping list, hit the grocery store, wrap presents, etc.
Let things go. It doesn't have to be perfect. Let me share my kid's fondest memory of the season: Every year my cousin comes into town for the holidays and makes cookies with my daughter. One year, they filled up the Kitchenaid mixer with flour, turned it on, and boom, flour flew everywhere. They talk about this every single year. They thought it was incredible. That is the magic of Christmas to them. The imperfections can turn out to be so, so special.
Let things go, part 2. Okay, this one is a BONUS. You don’t have to do every activity to enjoy this season. A jam-packed week followed by a busy weekend is stressful! Skip the activities you don’t want to do and put more focus and energy into the ones you really want to do.
If you are struggling this season, reach out to us. We are a team of moms led by a seasoned therapist, and we can help. We also have our “Mom’s Guide to Wellness” which teaches easy to understand coping skills for moms just like you. Enjoy the season!
