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There are several things you can do to enjoy your holidays even more, and having mindful holidays is actually easy to do! Some people really love the holidays - the hustle and bustle, the travel, seeing people you maybe only see once a year, or simply just having the time off work. For some it can make you feel full and festive, but it can feel fake and empty for others - maybe you get stressed out with all the energy you need to give towards family, gifts, travel, and all the things you are "supposed" to be doing. Maybe the pressure of being happy is too high.
Any health or mindful focused website will tell you to just count your blessings and to breathe. While this is true, it's not enough and it's not specific enough. Of course we know we should count our blessings and breathe. But what else can we do?
I want to address a few topics.
"I don't really like my relatives, but have to spend time with them anyway."
Yes! We might be forced to see those few family members we don't like as much. Try to identify what you don't like about spending time with them. Do they make judgemental comments about you? Is it just plain boring? What is it that triggers you? Then have a plan. For example, if people are making chippy comments to you, I try to have a sense of humor about it and I try to say to myself that they have different life views, morals, or opinions that I don't have to agree with. They are actually speaking their truth and reality. I don't have to live my life like them or prioritize my time, finances, or goals to them. If they have an opinion, I remind myself their life experiences dictate their perspective and it likely won't match mine. I suppose it is about empathizing with what they are trying to do (to help or give advice), but separating your emotions from it so you don't take it as personally. 4 agreements- don't take things personally.
You feel aimless
Traveling, making time to see other people or even doing activities you don't normally do might make you feel restless, aimless, or even cause anxiety. We get knocked out of our regular routine. There are two things you can do. If you thrive in routine, create a very small ritual or routine you can do every day to ground you. Second is a mindset shift. I'll be the first to say that feeling aimless is hard for me but I've learned that it's important. It actually helps me feel more creative, hungry for goals, and motivated when I get back to my regular life. Toning down your training or your work for a short period of time may feel scary like you're going to lose fitness or get behind, but think big picture. You don't have to be doing something every second to make gains. If aimlessness bothers you, it means you probably don't feel that way often so try to remember that feeling restless or resting from your normal life actually IS doing something - it helps you recover from the burnout of your normal life.
The Food
This is a tough one. One big meal is not a make or break, but doing it repeatedly for weeks on end can set you back. It's hard to set boundaries when temptations are at an all-time high. Do your best- set a foundation for adding in healthy things. For example, if you ate too many cookies, add in healthy things later that day or tomorrow. Go eat a handful of greens right out of the container or eat a piece of fruit. Start adding in other foods that are easy and make you feel good to offset some of the higher fat, more refined foods that maybe you only enjoy during the holidays. If you get off track, get back on track with the next thing you put on yourself. Sometimes a few unhealthy meals turn into guilt and self-sabotage. Enjoy what you're eating, cut yourself some slack, but take action to immediately remi
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