How to Be Mindful During the Holidays (2/3)
No matter which holiday your family celebrates, no one is safe from stress taking away a lot of the joy of the holiday season. But with mindfulness, you can learn how to let the unnecessary stresses go, and live in the moment.
Let’s see another way it allows you to really appreciate every moment you are given throughout the holidays and finally enjoy yourself again!
2. How to Stay Present in the Middle of Chaos and 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
There is no better time than right now 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.
So close your eyes, take 3 deep breaths and simply feel the present moment before moving on to reading the rest of this text.
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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 are eating. Consider how you are feeling.
Eat without judgment, guilt, or any other emotions that doesn’t add to the satisfaction of that meal.
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.
Let mindfulness simmer a bit.
It may sound a bit complicated if you are trying it for the first time, but really it isn’t! Remember 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!
Sending you mindful wishes for tomorrow and beyond!
I’ll be back in 2 days for part 3 where we’ll talk about ways to pursue your mindful journey year long.