Navigating the Holidays Mindfully
I’ve always leaned toward simplicity during the holidays, though I do love the trees, lights, and giving part, too.
If you’re not careful, though, you can end up going to holiday gathering, one right after the other, stress yourself out about gift-giving, try to uphold all the traditions our culture says you’re supposed to.
You’ll turn into a Scrooge faster than you can say, “Bah Humbug!”
I’ve created holiday rituals that involve not going out and spending, but doing smoke-cleansings, spending time in nature, and making food together.
All these things point to something radical: going about the holidays mindfully. I offer you the following suggestions.
Create new traditions
Making it to everyone’s holiday gatherings can get tiring. You can get creative and do something different.
- Have a little holiday gathering online using Zoom, Skype or some other video chat service.
- Gather friends and family and go on a hike.
- Have a tree decorating party
- Have an apple cider gathering by the fire and tell stories.
- Have a “progressive dinner” such that no one person has to cook all the food. It’s not 100% environmentally great – as everyone will be driving – but it’ll be a great reason to get everyone to carpool and work together.
Commit to giving meaningful presents that have minimal impact to your budget and environment
That is, presents that won’t trash the environment, break the bank, and have a personal touch.
- DIY sugar scrubs to encourage relaxation (and the jar can be re-used)
- Donation to worthy causes in someone’s name
- Make edible gifts such as organic cheese arrangements or fruit
- Make a photo album or a video of memories
- Make “coupons” that you give that involve a skill you have or a service you’d like to provide someone
- i.e. designing websites
- fixing cars
- painting (artistic or construction)
- running errands
- cleaning
- make a joke book if you’re good at humor
- If you’re good at thrift shopping, consider buying thrift gifts for people and upcycling them
Predetermine something (or lots of things!) that you will do mindfully
- Baking while concentrating on your breathing and the process of baking itself
- Mindfully decorate the tree while focusing on your breathing and allow your senses to take in the beauty of the lights, the scent of the tree, the twinkle of the ornaments
- Decorate or wrap presents in silence while you also focus on breathing, the feel of the paper, the scents around you, artfully folding corners, and labeling
Commit to simplicity
This does not mean deprivation
- Re-use lights and ornaments from years past instead of having to get new things
- Decorate plants you already have instead of getting a tree
- Consider making a Tree of Life that can stay up all year
- Make simple meals all month – soups, stews, that sort of thing so that if you need to cook a bigger meal, you’ll have more energy
Talk to your family about this well in advance
Some folks start saving and buying well before the holiday season
Drink more water
This really helps with your energy levels, headaches, and processing stress. More hydration means that your body will function optimally throughout the day. For more ideas, see my post on “drinking a gallon of water a day.”
Take time to meditate
Of course, having a meditation practice throughout all this is so important, it almost goes without saying.
Hopefully these tips will help you to navigate the holidays mindfully.
This article couldn’t come at a more perfect time if you tried. Fresh back from Disney and Thanksgiving holiday weekend here, I am definitely in the need of some advice on how to navigate the upcoming holidays weeks with as little stress as possible now. So thank you seriously for all your wonderful advice and tips. I am pinning now to refer back to, as well. Many hugs and hoping your week is starting off on a peaceful foot, as well now!! xoxo <3
Sweet Janine! Hehe, I’m glad you had a great trip back at Disney. Oh the holidays…and the navigation of this crazy time of year. Thank you for all your yummy recipes that you share! So many I’ve bookmarked to try! You’re absolutely CLEVER!! I wish you a wonderful week ahead and here’s to amazing, yummy recipes for all these holidays. 🙂
These are wonderful reminders Cynthia. I’ve done many of them in the past, but do very little for holidays now. Maybe it’s time to add back some simple holiday ritual. May the holidays be full of peace and love.
Brad – thank you again! After decades of holidays (speaking for myself), I’d say that they lose a bit of their magic, thanks to the repetition of all the things we do. Adding in some new traditions and changing things up makes it fun – at least that’s what I’m thinkin’.
I hope your holidays are also full of peace and love. May you be reminded often of the light that you are!
I’ve been trying to navigate how I can have a lighter, simpler, more beautiful holiday this year. Thank you for the wonderful advice Cynthia.
@Spiritualjourney – I’m with you! I (truly) have plans this year to “pamper” my family with homemade gifts (that I hope are high quality) as well as special finds from consignment shops and thrift stores. I’m writing the email to my family as we speak to propose a progressive dinner. 🙂
In any case, I wish you a peaceful, bright, and merry holiday season. Sending hugs!
Lil Sis, I lost both parents during the holidays,and I relapsed three times during the holidays. It has taken me a long time to learn how to navigate this mine field called “the holidays,” but I think I’ve got the hang of it now. At least I hope I have. lol
Sending hugs and love your way
Ah Big Bro – the holidays are significant then for you, aren’t they? I mean they always are, but our society attaches so much “meaning” to the rituals of these particular days that when other things happen, what society thinks we’re supposed to do and what actually plays out doesn’t add up. It adds to stress and it makes it harder than it needs to be. As I write this, I’m sitting here thinking, well…they really are just another day on the calendar. They have meaning because of where they fall on the spectrum of earth’s revolution around the sun. There is some significance to that – but then every DAY has significance – at least in my own logic.
All that to say that you’re entitled to make of these days what you will. I’m not all that into all the hoopla, but I do like making time for family and trying not to burn certain foods I promise to cook. hehe.
But I hear ya. I so hear ya. You are a light, and don’t forget it. 🙂
Sending you more hugs from Cackalack.
Dear Cynthia,
A timely and meaningful post. With each passing year, our holiday becomes simpler, accompanied by less stress and more time
to actually enjoy those we hold close to our hearts.
Hoping your Thanksgiving was peaceful and rejuvenating.
Love you and hugs, Maria
Sweet Mar – thank you. I love the simpler holidays. I just love, love getting up late, watching a sweet movie, having some cider…just the little things. 🙂
My Thanksgiving was peaceful. I worked on my web course for a chunk of it, but it’s what I want to be doing. 🙂 I hope yours was good. Sending you big bear hugs, light, and wishes for a great week and holiday season.
Agreed on both accounts Cynthia. Thanks for the blessing. May we shine and light the world a person at a time.