How To Be Mindful During The Holidays


The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone, and even more so when you are in charge of hosting a holiday party, having family stay with you, are experiencing financial restraints, or have a lot of responsibilities.

This can all take away a lot of the joy from the holiday season, no matter which holiday your family celebrates. But with mindfulness, you can learn how to let the unnecessary stresses go and live in the moment. It allows you to really appreciate every moment you are given throughout the holidays and finally enjoy yourself again.

What is Mindfulness?

It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t! Mindfulness is simply the act of focusing on the present moment you are in. You take out the judgment, regret, or guilt, and simply accept what is. The more you can be mindful during the holidays (and the rest of the year), the more grateful and stress-free you become.

Why Mindfulness During the Holidays Can Be Difficult

Mindfulness is a wonderful practice year-round, and is something everyone can benefit from no matter what they are dealing with. But during the holidays, there are even more ways it can help you.

Why The Holidays Are Such A Challenge

Why are holidays so stressful? It seems like it would be a joyous time to spend with your family, but the opposite is often true. You are trying so hard to make everything perfect and give your children and family memories they can cherish, that you lose yourself (and your sanity!) along the way.

Understanding where the stress comes from helps you to know where to focus on improving your mindfulness this time of year.

There is a lot to do – And often with very little time. You still have your other responsibilities on top of the numerous things you have to juggle during the holidays.

Financial issues – Many people feel the struggle of figuring out how to pay for decorations, gifts, parties, traveling, and other holiday expenses.

The expectations are different from reality – Even after you work hard to make everything perfect, it doesn’t always turn out how you planned. This is where mindfulness really comes in handy.

Ways Mindfulness Can Help You

Being more mindful during the holidays helps you with all of this and more. It allows you to stay present and put all of those expectations aside so you can just enjoy the moments you get with your family.

You learn to accept the moment – Every moment you live is a gift. Sure, it might not always be what you expect, but during the holidays, it isn’t about being perfect. It’s about enjoying yourself, being with family and friends, and having more gratitude for what you have in your life.

Mindfulness helps you slow down – Taking a pause through mindfulness is one of the best things you can do to stay present during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Memories are treasured – If you constantly are just thinking about the next thing you need to do during the holidays, it will be hard to hold on to these memories. Do you want to remember the holidays as a time you spent with your loved ones, or when you were so busy you missed out?

How To Stay Present In The Middle Of Chaos & Stress 

It seems almost impossible, doesn’t it? Looking beyond everything you are dealing with this holiday season, learning to let go, and take the stress away. To be present in every moment. But with just a few simple techniques and mindset shifts, you can be more mindful during the holidays.

Practice Beforehand 

If you have a little time before the holidays begin, it is a great time to start practicing your mindfulness habits. This doesn’t require anything more than just sitting quietly and focusing on whatever you are doing at that time. It might mean being quiet during a meal, sitting in your bedroom at night and pondering how you feel at that time, or being mindful while taking a walk.

Release Judgment 

A very big part of mindfulness is letting go of judgment and guilt. This is not just releasing judgment on others, but yourself, and the situations you find yourself in during the holiday season. Stop worrying about how you look, if the food is good enough, if the venue is perfect, what others are experiencing. These thought patterns are negative and going to make it very difficult to be mindful and appreciate the present moment.

Have Mindful Meals 

Mindfulness can work during any event or experience you have during the holidays, but a great time to practice it is while having meals with others. It can be your family holiday meal, at a party, or just at home to de-stress.

During your meals, shut off all distractions. This means no phone, no TV, and no music. Sit quietly and think about how you feel right then, during your meal. Focus on the flavors, the colors, the textures of what you’re eating. Consider how you are feeling.

Eat without judgment, guilt, or any other emotions that doesn’t add to the satisfaction of that meal.

 Great article on mindfulness >>> How Mindfulness Makes Your Brain Stronger

Take A Pause 

Being mindful is nothing more than taking a pause. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what you should have done, what you still have to do, what is or isn’t perfect during the holidays. When you find your mind wandering instead of enjoying time with family or friends, just take a pause. Sit for a few minutes alone in the quiet and bring yourself back to this moment. 

Focus On the Moment Not The Big Picture

Lastly, remember to focus on the present, not the big picture. It isn’t about having the perfect Christmas memory, but each little thing that made your Christmas memorable.

You can also get this FREE 7 Day Mind & Soul Cleanse Mini-Course…just click this link or on the image below…it’s totally FREE!


I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it helpful!

Until next time,


 

3 Replies to “How To Be Mindful During The Holidays”

  1. All good tips here. My dad and sister-in-law are already prepping weeks before each holiday get-together. My dad and sisters are having something at his place and my in-laws are having that side of the fam over. We will be driving a bit and splitting time between both. Mindfulness keeps you calm, relaxed and in enjoyment mode versus judgment mode, during the holidays.

Leave a Reply

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