I remember one coaching session that happened in late November last year. We were wrapping up the session, and when I tried to suggest to schedule for December, my client suddenly sunk into the sofa. Visibly stressed, he tilted his head back and moaned in much agony: “UGH… CHRISTMAS!!!”
This is a feeling that many of us have experienced during this busy time. So how can we minimize such holiday stress? Here, I’ll share 3 zenful tips for a healthy, balanced and positive holiday season!
Merry Christmas?
During the holidays, we tend to experience heightened emotions. Some might feel overwhelmed by all the family and social gatherings, while others are overcome by loneliness by not having loved ones to celebrate with. Either way, our common coping mechanism is to turn to food and alcohol. This is the time of year when we often revert to bad habits and spend to excess.
But the holidays don’t need to lead to stress and negative feelings. Here are three tips that you can use to come through it happier and healthier, no matter what gets thrown at you!
1. Take a break and a breath
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Taking movement breaks help to improve work productivity and focus, but paying attention to the quality of our breath is extremely useful. When we are breathing effectively, our mind is calm and controlled. We make better decisions and get things done as planned.
Throughout the day, make sure you allow yourself to take some breaks. You can stand up and walk around while being mindful of your body movements, or you can close your eyes and focus just on your breaths for 5 to 10 minutes. This interruption sends signals to your brain and re-anchors the mind.
As an iPhone user, I found the app “Mind Jogger” useful. It sends you multiple scheduled reminders at random, and the alerts can be different sounds.
2. Take care of yourself
“Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting.” – William Shakespeare
Self-love isn’t always indulging ourselves with expensive purchases and luxurious experiences. It’s much simpler:
- What food are you feeding your body?
- How are you spending your money?
- Who are you associating yourself with?
- Do you automatically say yes when you meant to say no?
While we want to celebrate the holiday by offering time and gifts to our loved ones, it should never be at the detriment of neglecting our own needs and wants. Set boundaries, and choose how you use your time and energy. Even during the most hectic times, when we build and stick to a routine that nourishes us, we are fully available to others without resentment or anger.
Create a list of things that are “Absolute Musts” for your health and happiness, so you can see the priorities right in front of you.
3. Offer Extra Kindness
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around”. – Leo Buscaglia
We don’t need to spend tons of money to make others feel good. Be generous with your compliments, extend a helping hand, donate to a charity, offer food to a homeless person…. There are many ways for us to actively practice daily kindness.
One of the best stress-relief skills I’ve learned is to practice “loving-kindness” meditation, which includes sending loving phrases silently to ourselves, to the loved ones, to a complete stranger, to someone we disagree with, and to all beings. You can learn more about this type of meditation with Sharon Salzbeg here.
Before any social gatherings such as family meals, especially when you are anxious or agitated, quietly send yourself and the people you are meeting some kind messages, with the understanding that we are all doing our best based on our own knowledge, and we are all human beings that want to be happy.
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How do you stay calm and centered during the holiday period? Please let me know your tips and practices by leaving a comment.
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