How to Prepare for the Holiday Mayhem

It’s about to get crazy around here…want to know how to prepare for the holiday mayhem?

I know we’ve only just enjoyed our tricks and our treats in North America but we’re approaching that time of year where the days just start to speed by and we can barely catch our breathe.

Parties, events, bake sales, holiday concerts, shopping for gifts, cooking, prepping…I’m getting tired just thinking about it.

Now, I don’t want to be like the egg nog that’s on display at the grocery store on September 1st and spoil the lead up to the holidays, but I do want to call attention to something.

Do you ever feel like you RUN through the holidays just trying to “get through” it all, so that you can stop and relax when they’re over?

Let that sink in for a moment…

Do you often need a holiday from your holidays?

This is a special time of year. One to spend with loved ones, take a break, reflect on 2017, and set yourself up for the coming year.

But, more often than not I see people focused on “getting through” and do all that they can not to lose it with their boss, kids or partner.

Not to mention the endless socializing and inevitable weight gain from the food, booze, and stress.

What if this year could be different?

What if you took a different approach?

My guess is that you would be happy to stay grounded and find a few moments of peace from now until the new year.

You’d probably get pretty excited if you knew that you weren’t going to gain weight and have to be strict with yourself on January 1st.

If you’ve got the opposite problem, forgetting to eat because things are so crazy, I’m sure it would feel good to know that you’re going to have better boundaries with your time and commitments, so that you can actually relax and feel strong going into the new year.

Have you ever experienced guilt for not being ‘totally there” with your family?

Instead of listening to them and enjoying their company, you’re on your phone making lists and checking them twice – hey wait, isn’t that Santa’s job, not yours?

For now let’s just reflect on what you actually want to happen this holiday.

Rather than placing your energy on the past and on guilt, or the stress of all the things that may need to get done between now and the end of the year….what if we just lean back and imagine? Not a totally Norman Rockwell image here, but a REAL image.

How do you actually want to feel on Thanksgiving evening? Stuffed and worn out, or satisfied, content and grateful.

How do you want to move through the eight days of Hanukkah, Christmas eve and day, or any special time that you celebrate with family and friends?

Rushed, exhausted and needing booze to take the edge off – I doubt that’s what you truly want.

There are ways to have a better experience of the holidays.

An experience you will remember fondly and, more importantly, an experience that will have you feeling more connected to yourself and your loved ones right now.

I’ve created a few techniques to keep you grounded and happy this holiday. More on that later.

Right now I just want you to focus on how you want to feel on January 1, 2018.

What does your “future self” want you to do for the next two months, so that you will actually feel the way you want to feel when 2018 begins?

Personally, I want to feel that I’m still thriving in mind, body and spirit! That means I’m focused on keeping my foundational health habits in place as I navigate the social events, shopping, travel and family gatherings that are all part of my calendar between now and next year.

The best way to make your feelings real is to share them.

Please post in the comments below: How do you want to feel on January 1, 2018?

Photo credit: freestocks