Obtaining Inner Bliss During the Holidays

If you are anything like me, you tend to get immersed in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. If you don’t get organized early, you can increase your stress, weaken your immune system, and find yourself running in circles.  To stay organized, I make calendars to track upcoming activities and record purchases and receipts to stay one step ahead of the game.  For instance, I have begun baking some goodies that can be frozen.  Just getting that one step off my plate, no pun intended, means a lot to me.

I don’t want to miss any invitations to celebrate with friends and family.  I enjoy trying new recipes.  And I have come to believe that these large gatherings are an excellent time to test them out.  I don’t test them at someone else’s house, only when hosting others.  There are a couple of picky eaters in the family, so new dishes don’t usually go unnoticed, and they ask first what the dish is.  Unfortunately, they have already decided whether they will like it without tasting it.

In dealing with family, the holidays can be challenging as we all want everyone to get along and enjoy the day.  I love taking pictures and scrapbooking to remember all the smiles and fun had with everyone.  When young children are present, it can be both a blessing and yet contribute to your stress.  If your home is not child-proof, you must be on your toes and watch their every move.  That is hard to do when you are preparing a meal.  So kindly ask an adult to be in charge.  But also prepare your home, removing any breakable or precious items to another room for the day.

During the frenzied holiday season, search for things that help you de-stress and find self-care that can aid your well-being.  Even though stress is normal in our everyday life, its effects vary among individuals.  Some individuals may be severely affected, while others do not feel any strain.  Below are a few stress management techniques to try.

1. Yoga. Many elements of relaxation can be found in yoga.  It allows you to stretch the muscles encouraging mental and physical relaxation.
2. Mindfulness. Awareness of our surroundings and how certain things affect our physical or mental well-being is essential to alleviate possible side effects, such as nausea, tension headaches, or anxiety.
3. Tai Chi. The Chinese martial arts practice has been known for its defense training, meditation, and health benefits.  Evidence of good benefits includes helping with depression, stroke, cardiac rehab, and dementia.
4. Smartphone Applications. Specific applications have been developed for indoor environments to assist in calming us, such as Pause, Calm, Heartmath, and Sway (some may charge you). I use Rain, Rain, Rain for the beautiful calming sounds of nature.
5. Journaling. As I’ve stated before, journaling has medicinal properties.  Writing down your worries, anxieties, hurts, and jealousies is a form of understanding them and releasing them.
6. Exercise or take a walk. Thirty minutes of moderate walking or exercise is healthy.  It allows your blood to circulate through the body and, if you are sweating, helps with detoxifying.
7. Take a bath. Soak all the stress, anger, and resentment away.  Then pull the plug, sending it down the dark drain to be seen no more.
8. Dance. Start moving around your room as if you were floating on air.  Dancing has always been one of my favorite forms of exercise, a conversation with your soul and body.
9. Meditation. For two minutes, sit in a comfortable chair or even on the floor, close your eyes, take a couple of deep breaths and begin thinking about something positive in your life – like your pet, your neighbor, the sunshine, the rain, the monarch butterfly you saw flittering around your back yard yesterday, or your child or grandchild.  Let your senses release.  Continue your deep breathing – in through your nose and out through your mouth.
10. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) – Lay down on your back and relax. Take one muscle at a time, starting with your toes until you reach the top of your head. Tighten them up, hold them for five seconds, and then release them.  Do this slowly, not forgetting your facial muscles.  This calms your breathing and all your muscles.

We try to make our holidays picture-perfect, like the movies we view on television.  I love the happy endings and all the love they spread to everyone attending the festivities.  But we are human beings, and life isn’t usually that ideal for most of us.  There are bumps, ruts, and sometimes bruises – obstacles that can find their way in front of us.  We need to make the best of those rough spots and move on, learning how best to go over, go under or go around to keep calm and enjoy the moment.

Listed below are several websites to check out.

• https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety
• https://www.stress.org/15-stress-reducing-activities-you-can-do-at-home-according-to-experts

Please use these upcoming holidays as a beacon to shower your family and friends with love, respect, and thankfulness.

All my best,

Julie

“Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are.”

— Theodore Roosevelt