A Formula for Enjoying the Holidays
It’s that time of year again, but really it started in September. Knowing that the next weeks are jam-packed with activities and year-end deadlines at work. The rush has begun. “Being here now” is one shortcut to enjoying the holidays. What do you want this holiday memory to be? “Intention” here matters!
Believe in yourself. Make meaningful connections, and ask yourself what matters most to you. Being too tired and weary to enjoy your family and friends? Or taking this precious time to connect heart to heart? Does running away to the beach or mountains sound good, or do you really want to connect this year to your family?
Some of you while reading my articles, remember the “Darielle’s 15-minute rule”. Doing as much as you can in 15 minutes several times a day will surprise you with what can be accomplished. Vacuum a room, mop the kitchen, put dishes away, start a load of laundry, or fold those on top of the dryer. Give it a try. Make the short times you do have count, and also make one of them a stop, and enjoy a break.
Well, there is also another way that I have used and shared with my clients for years. This simple approach is easier but can feel harder because we are so conditioned that the holidays have to be hard. A myth-buster is coming up and a bonus technique at the end for dealing with your own negativity.
Holiday Formula
This “Holiday Formula” works because it is duplicatable, but can take more practice to achieve the results we want. It is especially true if your past holidays have failed miserably to meet your expectations.
Holidays have the ability to bring some of the most annoying people into our presence more than once. Perhaps you can’t do much for the offending person, but you can alter your own attitude, and that will eventually help you feel better about yourself. You can help the process by surrounding a person who irritates you in a soft “peach” light. This is a healing color and good for relationships.
Holiday Formula – A Positive Energy Technique:
1) Take several deep breaths to bring up your energy and calm down your emotional state. 2) See yourself bathed in “yellow”. 3) Surround the person in a soft “peach” color. 4) Visualize a “blue” light around both of you, so both of you can talk more freely.
This is about discovering what works for you, and you can use your own personal colors as well as the above.
Have a Happier Holiday by Connecting to Your Inner Voice Daily
Connecting to your inner voice brightens the holidays and every day it is an amazing practice. Your intuition can be the best guide during the holidays. That voice that says, “Take a break, have a cup of tea, call a girlfriend, stop on the way home to pick up that perfect gift, have that comfort meal, eat that piece of dark chocolate.” My time is an important time – keeping your system strong, and making time for sleep helps keep you emotionally balanced.
These whispers can save you time and lower your frustration. Many successful people factor in the time for daydream meditation. The insights gathered during this time offer solutions not found or recognized while rushing around. Those few moments can save your life, by lowering your cortisol levels, lowering your blood pressure, and giving your heart a break from stress.
Be still and listen to that intuition that is nudging and guiding you. That intuition might be about trying something new – try it and enjoy the ride. Self-discovery makes you feel alive and connected. If you cannot hear your own voice and value it, how can others? I will deep dive into a later article about that nugget.
Steps to Bring Back the Magic
Bringing back the magic in your life starts here with a little planning. Asking for help can transform worry into enjoying moments. There is some effort involved, but it is worth the investment. Being grateful is one of the best antidotes to the holiday crisis.
I use humor and create jingles, and then reframe the negative thoughts that crop up, especially when experiencing overwhelming feelings. Breaking things down into pieces and seeing them horizontally is a visual that will let you map out what needs to be done, with all the other things going on. Keep as much to your regular routine as possible, and know that habits help to keep you grounded.
Try these steps:
- Get a good idea or picture of what you want this holiday to be.
- Be present and set your intention.
- Write about what you are grateful for this year!
- Acknowledge what you have accomplished this year.
- Set your intention to have a better holiday.
- Put what needs to be done on a calendar, and chunk it out.
- Ask for help.
- Take time for family, friends, and spouses.
- Add a chocolate break, a cup of tea, and a short nap
Use one or all of the above to assist you.
Have a great holiday 🙂
Contact Darielle online Email at Darielle@dariellearcher.com
