Remaining Zen This Holiday Season

The holidays are here and many of us look forward to spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately, these times of celebration can also be times of heightened stress and anxiety. Here are some tips to keep calm during the holiday season and make the most out of your time with loved ones.

1. Set Time Aside for Yourself. The holidays should be about celebration. If there isn’t any excitement about that dinner or event, then there’s no shame in saying no. Learn to identify your own boundaries and recognize what obligations you are capable of fulfilling and which ones just don’t work for you. Take this extra time to add stress relievers to your schedule. An extra workout, mediation, or even journaling could be ways to practice self-care during this sometimes-hectic time.

2. Maintain Your Attitude of Gratitude. The majority of the pressure we may feel during the holidays is wanting control of what happens around us or how things play out. Don’t dwell on what isn’t working.

Identify specific things in your life that you’re grateful for. Looking at things around you from a place of gratitude can be very empowering.

3. Let Go of The Image of Perfection. Try to maintain a realistic vision of what can and cannot be accomplished this time of year. The meals don’t have to be perfect. The gifts don’t have to be perfect. The point is to be surrounded by your loved ones. Oh, here’s another announcement, those relationships won’t be perfect either! So, embrace the chaos and don’t get caught up in the trap of perfection.

4. Practice Kindness. Yes, we have to practice kindness because sometimes it can take effort. That cousin with a different political view than yours, the incessant noise from the television that the kids won’t lower and that friend who just won’t stop talking about his hunting dogs. You get the point. Remember, most people are dealing with their own levels of stress and anxiety. If you try to approach each person you encounter with greater kindness, perhaps everyone will relax more and enjoy the moment.

Keep in mind, there is no right or wrong here just what works and what is right for you. Happy Holidays