The holidays? Already?

And just like that, the holidays are upon us again. To me, it feels like yesterday we were hitting the road to meet up with extended family for Thanksgiving, and yet so much has happened on so many levels in the last year. For many people in my world, their lives have really evolved both personally and professionally. So it makes sense that, um yeah, we are in fact entering the holiday season once again. 

Personally, I love the holidays, and feel there’s so much to love about them. Time with friends and family, merry-making, celebrations and opportunities to give. And, yes, there’s also so much to stress about. From the excess of eating and spending, to the pace of obligations and travel–it can be difficult to stay focused and grounded.

In fact, it can be actual work to stay connected to the spirit of season which I personally distill those down into 3 categories: Generosity. Kindness. Connection. I think these are basically common themes no matter what holidays you may (or may not) be celebrating. Here are some of the ways I plan to go about it this year. 

  • Prioritize my commitment to self care and health. So often during the season do not only exercise and good eating go out the window, but also meditation, quiet time, and rest. It’s hard enough for me to be disciplined with this on the regular, but I’ve been committed lately and I’m going to defend that time through the holidays ruthlessly.
  • Focus on meaningful connection. My extended family and I don’t always share views on things, and my way to cope is focus on the commonalities and love we do share. This has helped me overall to listen better and be more open, which creates a lightness and freedom (for me) in those relationships. It’s not so easy in what feels like an ever so polarized world, but worth the effort I believe.
  • Practice kindness and compassion. The busy-busy-busy-ness of the season can make me so grouchy and short-tempered.  Also, living in NYC, we get an up-tick of tourists (thank you for coming!) which adds to the congestion.  Guess what?  Other people feel the exact same short-fused way.  Remembering that, helps me to slow down, breathe and not take every slight that results from the hustle bustle so personally.

Are you excited for or dreading the holidays? I would love to hear which camp you fall into, why, and what your strategies are for managing the season.

Enjoyed the post? Share it!
Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *