The holidays are here again! Are you still in that state of gratitude from Thanksgiving? Or are you feeling more overwhelmed than grateful as you try to create the perfect holiday season? Are you making unrealistic demands on yourself or on others? Are some unhealthy habits kicking in? Maybe it's due to stress.
Stress is a fact of life, and for some, the daily norm. Although occasional stress can help improve your focus and performance, the accumulation of the stress of the holidays can cause anxiety, depression and health issues. It can also lead to not treating yourself very well.
Now is a good time to make the choice to take care of yourself and give inner peace a little extra attention. Here are some of my favorite ways to reduce stress during the holiday season:
Choose wisely. Don't abandon your healthy habits just because "it's the holidays"... Continue to choose what what media/people/noise you have in your environment. And what you put into your body. Listen to your own inner wisdom and say "no" to things/people/events that seem like they could be stressful. And give yourself time to take care of yourself whether it's by meditating, watching an uplifting movie, getting out in nature, journaling, attending a yoga class, listening to inspiring music, getting a massage, hanging out with good friends, being in silence, taking a bath, or reading a wonderful book.
Plan ahead, and then enjoy the moment. Make a plan to visit, volunteer, shop, attend parties, and take care of yourself. Then, as you follow the plan, practice present moment awareness, keeping your awareness on what is actually happening so you can fully experience and enjoy what you planned, rather than worrying about the future or wanting to change something that happened in the past. It's always a good time to practice being here now. Be realistic, remain flexible, and don't worry if everything goes according to the plan.
With your attention on the here and now, accept the moment as it is. Your life is experienced in THIS moment. No other. When you notice you are focused on the future or the past, you can refocus your attention to the moment at hand. With your attention in the present moment, you can fully experience the peace, merriment, and love that abounds from friends and family as the gifts, connections, and wishes for a wonderful holiday season arrive. With your attention in the present moment, you can enjoy your meals enjoy the company of others. With your attention in the present moment, you experience things as they are rather than an idea of what they are. For example, if your family dynamic or relationships have changed, instead of resisting the change or wishing things were different, practice embracing what really is and how you celebrate the holidays now. Perhaps a new tradition will be born.
Acknowledge and feel your feelings. Understandably, people want only to feel "good" feelings like happiness, joy, bliss, etc. However feelings of loneliness or depression can often arise in the holiday season as memories of the past or of lost loved ones come to mind. Instead of forcing yourself to be happy or masking your feelings, allow yourself to feel your feelings as they arise. Feelings are not permanent, and if you give them the attention they need as they arise, they'll come and go of their own accord. No one can do this for you. Be easy on yourself and seek support from a professional if you feel you need it. Being aware of your emotions and allowing yourself to feel them reduces stress and is essential to your mind/body health.
Accentuate the positive. What you focus your attention on is important - whatever you are focused on will often be what you find. Instead of focusing your attention on what isn't working or what causes you stress in your life, focus on what is working and what you like about your life. If you are focused on what is not going quite right, or what you should've done, or what others should be doing but aren't - you will find it and you won't be feeling so jolly. Instead, when you realize your attention is focused on something not so nourishing, make a quick shift attending to what you enjoy or what nourishes you in the holiday season - whether it's the twinkling lights, seeing new and old friends, volunteering, the holiday music, receiving a holiday card, or being with your family. Greeting cards can help you to remember to do this as you receive the message from your friends or family supporting you to have a wonderful holiday season.
Find your inner peace. Some people find peace through prayer, some through meditation. I do both. Both prayer and meditation are proven to create better health and well being. Most people know how to pray, but meditation can be confusing for those who weren't brought up with it. I can tell you meditation is easy to learn and do, and is often thought of as the perfect antidote for stress. Meditation trains your awareness to be in the present moment, helps you to be more aware of what you are putting your attention on, can help reduce anxiety and depression, and allows a new perspective and more spaciousness in your day. Find out more about meditation here.
Get more rest. Sleep is the number one way your body recovers from stress. And, stress builds when you're tired. Even though there are plenty of things to keep you up late, you can make it a habit to get to bed early on the nights when you don't have holiday parties to attend. The ancient Ayurvedic recommendation for deeper, more restful sleep is to get to bed between 10 - 10:30 pm - early to be and early to rise - that's when your sleep is best supported by nature. Meditation even for a few minutes a day also helps to give you a very deep rest, and will improve your sleeping patterns! Meditation also instantly reduces stress.
Get out and enjoy nature's gifts. We're so busy we often don't give ourselves the time to look up at the sky, feel the wind in our hair, experience the warmth of the sun on our skin, or deeply breathe the crisp air. Getting outside of buildings and cars and taking some time in nature is an essential source of stress relief as you are nourished by the silence, the perfection, and the stillness. Studies show that interacting with nature can help lessen the effects of stress on the nervous system, reduce attention deficits, decrease aggression and enhance one's spiritual well-being.
Give yourself a deep breath. You can stop the stress response by taking some slow deep breaths through your nose. When you're busy reacting to stress, you tend to be unaware of your body and its needs, and unaware of the choices you can make in the moment. Not only does giving yourself a deep breath bring your focus to the present moment, deep breathing also sends a signal to your mind and body that it's time to relax. And as relax, you become more aware of your body - perhaps you unclench your jaw, relax your face, or drop your shoulders away from your ears. And you can give yourself a break anywhere and anytime. Breathe in slowly, deeply, and let it out, slowly, deeply. Don't hold your breath, let it flow for a minute or two.
Count your blessings. Research shows that daily gratitude practices results in more enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and even energy. Grateful people experience less depression and stress, are more likely to help others, exercise more regularly, and make more progress toward personal goals. People who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. It's simple to incorporate whether you make a mental list of what you are grateful for before bed, or when you wake up, or you cultivate gratitude and appreciate your life before each meal.
Don't worry. It doesn't really matter in the long run if you found the perfect gift or you got any or all of your cards out on time. What matters is being present to your life and the people in it, and making choices to think, say, and act in alignment with your integrity. Gifts come in a variety of forms: a smile, doing an errand for someone who needs the help, making a meal for someone living alone, or donating to a great cause in someone else's name. You can even write a poem for someone or copy and give them your favorite. The most important gift to yourself and others is your presence. And, if you do shop for gifts, be conscious how you spend. Stay within your budget, and purchase gifts that are in alignment with your values and don't wreak havoc on the environment.
Written by Sarah McLean
About the author: Along with her 22 year meditation practice, Sarah McLean has explored world spiritual and cultural traditions: she's been a resident in a Zen Buddhist monastery, lived in an ashram in India, taught English to Tibetan Buddhist nuns, bicycled along the silk route through Pakistan, meditated in temples in Thailand and Japan, and trekked the golden triangle in Asia. Sarah McLean is passionate about teaching and sharing what she’s discovered about the modalities of mind/body health, self awareness and her spiritual journey. Endorsed by Deepak Chopra and featured in the New York Times, Sarah is the founding director of the Sedona Meditation Training Company, where she teaches meditation and leads meditation retreats. She is also the author of the book, Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation (Hay House May 2012.)
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Sarah McLean delivers captivating instructions for the beginner, reminders for the seasoned meditator, and three soothing guided meditations. A selection of crystal bowl healing sounds makes this CD perfect for anyone seeking a soulful companion for meditation. More
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