How to Stay Mindful This holiday season
originally written on Dec 20 2018
We are DEEP into this Holiday season and I don’t know about you BUT it has been a whirlwind over here. Not in a bad way but a whirlwind nonetheless. Between working being crazy, holiday shopping, parties and the like. I feel like I am ready to crawl into bed and sleep for four days….. And the biggest celebration of the year for my family isn’t here yet (Christmas!) Yikes.
To be honest, I seriously cannot believe Christmas is less than a week away. I feel like the past couple of months have flown right by. I feel like I have been surviving instead of thriving. I feel like I have been pushing through and getting shit done without really being present in the moment. While I feel SO much better than I did this summer, I do think I have been eating(most times), sleeping, working, working out, eating sleeping, working, working out and not really taking time to sit still and be present.
Well let’s just say that was getting old. And not feeling good anymore.
As you may or may not know, I am BIG on mindfulness. Especially mindfulness in sports rehabilitation and concussion rehabilitation. After preaching about my passion for mindfulness to multiple people, I realized it was time to start walking my walk again.
Sounds simple enough, but in practice not so simple.
I wanted to share some of the ways I have been turning my day to day life into a little bit more of a mindful oasis in the midst of the craziness
5 Ways I am Being More Mindful:
Dance it Out: Throw on your favorite songs, your favorite playlist and DANCE. Seriously, I have been dancing in my workouts or more as the warm up/ rest breaks in my workouts and it has been FANTASTIC. It helps me feel really present in my body and helps me feel really good in my body. And I am ALL about feeling good.
Gratitude Journal: I woke up yesterday with a “holy cow” moment. I was sitting in bed with my lemon water and was hit with a HUGE wave of gratitude. I let it sweep over me and really truly felt all the gratitude. I breathed into the feeling and felt so so present in the moment. Every morning, I write down my gratitude list. Honestly, Sometimes I do it on autopilot! I encourage you to sit for a moment every morning, close your eyes and bring to mind 3 things you are TRULY grateful for. I want you to feel the deep gratitude in your body and breathe into it. Then, write it down.
Mindful Shopping/Give the gift of experiences: This year out of ease, I have definitely fallen into mindless amazon shopping for myself and others. It was easy, they have everything and its convenient BUT it’s mindless. I am not saying my gifts are mindless or unthoughtful. I have bought some really well thought out gifts online and am really excited about some of the gifts BUT the act of scrolling on my Amazon app is mindless. While I bought a couple of gifts online, I am also trying to gift more experiences. For example, my mom, sister and I are going to a Spa day together. I am gifting Chris an appointment with my favorite acupuncturist. My sister and I are going to plan a ski trip together. Opening gifts is fun and Amazon is convenient but don’t go overboard (like I did).
Aromatherapy: You know this gal is all about essential oils and part of the reason I love them so much is they inspire me to pause for a minute and just breathe. A big whiff of my favorite EO reminds me to slow down and take deep breaths. I am definitely a scent centered person and someone who connects memories to scents. Essential Oils Bring me back to the present moment to either create new moments or to enjoy reminiscing about past memories. Lately, I have been diffusing Holiday Peace left and right and it feels so good and beautiful, calming and peaceful but a little bit energizing. I have also been loving bergamot and Elevation for my workouts!
Christmas Lights/ Mood Lighting: I LOVE Christmas lights and candles. I remember in college having a room full of candles and twinkly lights. I also remember my roommates coming in to my room when they needed to chill out-- I have always had that sort of welcoming space and I love it. No Matter the season, Chris and I have some battery operated LED lights in our room, diffuser lights, Himalayan salt lamps and candles throughout our room and kitchen. For Christmas, we double that. We add some colors to that! I use the white twinkly lights throughout the year and the multi color lights are Christmas to me. So right now, we have ALL the lights in our bedroom and it is THE BEST (seriously, check out my instagram stories.. I think I post it once a day lol!) There is something so warm and welcoming to soft lighting (maybe my lighting designer boyfriend really has gotten to me). It makes me feel like I am wrapped in a warm hug and truly present in my space.
Like I said, I have not been mindful. I have not been fully present. But, it is never too late to change. This is my declaration to you all that I am going to be a little more mindful the next couple of days. I am going to be fully present in everything I do to the best of my ability. I am going to let myself enjoy everything and feel everything. And it’s going to feel GOOD!
What are some of your favorite ways to stay mindful during the holiday season! I would love to hear your top recommendations.
Also, Stay tuned for some exciting news coming your way ASAP! Think new programs, new offerings, more freebies, etc!!