We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and with that can come many kinds of abundance:
- Busier schedules, holiday parties, travel
- More eating, more drinking
- More shopping, more spending, more financial stress
In this article, I’m going to share some thoughts on creating a slower holiday season.
Imagine a season of reflection and slowing down. A season of connecting with others but also finding solitude. A season of festivities but also quiet. A season during which you increase your resilience instead of burning out.
That’s what we’re looking to create.
Slowing Down the Excess
Often the holidays are a season of eating more, drinking more, shopping and spending more. People tend to gain weight during the holiday season, and gain debt as well.
This kind of excess takes a toll on our systems and adds to our already high stress load. Getting really full from holiday gatherings, drinking too much, and all that added stress adds to our exhaustion.
What if it didn’t have to be this way?
Consider the following possibilities:
- Cut back on junk food when you’re not at a family gathering. On a day-to-day basis, what if you cut back on sugar, things made with flour, and fried foods? Focus on whole foods, such as fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. This creates a more resilient body that can better handle the excess when we come together to celebrate. Eat that extra slice of pie at the party, because you haven’t been overdoing it the rest of the month.
- Cut back on alcohol as well. I don’t think alcohol is evil, but we definitely don’t need to drink every day. What if you eliminated alcohol on most days, just having a drink or two when you got together with loved ones? Your body would be more resilient.
- Cut back on shopping. I love gift giving, but the excess consumerism is not healthy for the budget, and the shopping itself is stressful. What if you talked to your family and agreed to give experience gifts (a picnic date, a cycling date, a reading date, a hike in the mountains) or consumable gifts (homemade chocolate chip cookies, etc.)? You’d spend less, contribute less to the huge amount of waste created in the season, and not add to people’s clutter.
- Exercise moderately and reduce stress. It will add to your resilience if you exercise most days, but don’t go all out. If you’re overdoing the exercise, you’ll be adding to your stress. So go slow with the exercise, but don’t neglect it, because it reduces stress overall. Similarly, be selective with your calendar and task list. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself, and breathe.
The Season of Slowing Down
Letting go of excess adds to our overall resilience. But what if we could use this beautiful season to slow down even more?For many, this is a season of darker and colder days, which can affect our mood if we feel down about that.
But it can also be an incredible time of slowing down.
Consider these ideas:
- Use the darker days as a time of moving slower, not needing to rush, not needing to do as much.
- Use the colder days as a signal to get warm and cozy, and cuddle up with a good book or a journal.
- Use this closing month as a time for reflection on your year and your life, and for imagining possibilities for yourself in the coming year.
- Go for walks and enjoy the solitude, and find a sense of wonder for the changing seasons of life. Reflect on what you’ve learned and what to let go of.
- Clear out the clutter—physical clutter, loose ends in your life, old emails you haven’t responded to, and things that feel messy.
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