The holidays are in full swing and December days seem to come and go with every blink! This time of year always seems to go by so quickly. All of a sudden it is January 1st and I’m left with a vacation hangover and Christmas decorations covering my home that I’m not ready to take down!
Photo by Studio Eiler @studioeiler
With all of the parties, traveling, and family time, it’s easy to let time get away from us. This season I’m trying to use mindfulness as a way of capturing these scenes as photographs in my memory. I have picked out five times during the holiday season to pause and take a mindful look around at the holiday backdrop before you!
1. On Holiday Road
Visiting with friends and family during the holidays is one of my favorite ways to spend my time. You might have the opportunity to go back to your hometown or travel to new places. The change of scenery can be refreshing and rejuvenating. Traveling can be a major part of your holiday, especially if you are going to more than one place during your travels. It might even feel as if you are spending more time in the car or at the airport than you are at your actual destination! This year, I have really tried to be more mindful when traveling by making this time just as much of an experience as my actual destination.
Take in your surroundings and enjoy the scenery! Christmas lights will be taken off of houses sooner than later, so enjoy their soft glow and decorative presence as you pass them by in your car. When Chuck and I travel from Chicago back to Michigan to see our families, I look forward to these hours of uninterrupted time for conversation.
Keep calm and drive on!!!
Try to stay calm no matter the traffic or the weather forecast, both which can be sources of frustration and anxiety during the holidays. Airports can also be a little crazy! Take a deep breath once you get to your gate or your seat and appreciate where you are going or where you are coming from on your journey.
This is a simple reminder to you that you will get to where you need to be this holiday, and everything is going to be okay! In the meantime, create travel that is memorable, acknowledge frustrations and anxieties, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination on your holiday road!
[ctt template=”2″ link=”0plT0″ via=”yes” ]5 moments to pause and use mindfulness to savor this holiday season![/ctt]2. Wining and Dining
So let’s be real and say that this time of the year is an endless spread of sweets, delicious meals, and holiday cocktails. Being mindful during meals and truly enjoying what we are eating and drinking can allow us to savor food that most likely took hours to prepare.
Taking a mental snapshot by engaging all of your senses is a way of practicing mindful eating and will allow you to later recall how delicious that holiday drink or appetizer was long after it’s gone. Pay attention to the smell of the room, the visual presentation, and the textures and tastes of the food that you eat. These mindful strategies allow you to be grounded in the present moment rather than thinking about the mess in the kitchen, the calories that you are eating, or your strategy for cleanup and leftovers.
More than anything, I believe that remaining engaged in conversation and being an active listener with the people around you creates the most memorable dining experience. Whether you are sipping wine with friends, or sitting around the dinner table with your family, try to remember to pause and take in the scene. Look around and take in the scene of everyone enjoying food and drink together, and listen to the conversations that are happening around you. This mental snapshot is one that will stay with you year after year!
3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Like weddings and birthday parties, holiday gatherings are unique moments when we are lucky enough to have friends and family together in the same room. Schedules seem to align, people are visiting their hometowns, and the cheer in the air brings everyone together. These events can be a whirlwind of conversation, cooking, and gift giving. Your favorite holiday music creates a soundtrack in the background, and decorations and rainbow lights create the perfect ambiance for a room filled with people celebrating this festive time of year.
Whenever I am at a gathering with my friends or family, I always try to take at least one moment to pause and look around at the scene before me. I tune into the music, I pay attention to the expressions and voices of those around me, and I absorb the atmosphere of the room. By allowing myself to be suspended in time even for a second, I find that I am able to truly appreciate the fullness and brightness of the room. These special moments are fleeting, so embrace them fully and make the most of each celebration!
4. Gift Giving
The present is a gift, so what better time to be mindful than when giving and receiving? I absolutely love finding the perfect gift for my friends and family. The anticipation of waiting for them to unwrap the gift and their reaction when they finally tear off all of the paper is the best feeling.
Generosity can come in so many different forms, especially during the holidays.
Mindful gift giving is when we focus truly on what a person needs which might not always be something tangible. As we are traveling and visiting with friends and family, let’s think about what the people closest to us might need in their lives. This might simply be time with you or advice over a cup of coffee. Maybe they have a project they are working on with their house and they could use an extra set of hands. Giving someone a present moment is truly one of the best gifts of all — whether it is support, a helpful hand, or a heartfelt conversation.
5. Feeling Emotion
The holidays can bring up many emotions. Some can be merry and full of nostalgia, and others can be painful or uncomfortable. While we tend to push our thoughts more towards the happy feelings and thoughts that come with this time of year, it’s important to acknowledge every emotion that your heart is experiencing. Pushing aside painful memories and feelings of heartache might prevent us from working through these times of our lives. We might feel guilty for even experiencing them at all during this time that is supposed to be joyful and merry.
Being mindful of our emotions during the holidays can teach us a lot about ourselves and validate feelings that we might be trying to ignore. I am not saying to dwell on these thoughts, but rather recognize that they are present. We all have storm clouds that may linger in the background during this time of the year and bring up certain emotions. Write these thoughts down, talk about them with a close friend, or give your mind time to sort through them without guilt or judgement.
Let’s not forget about those warm and fuzzy feelings that this time of year brings us, too!
Embrace your feelings of excitement and warmth and acknowledge them to their entirety! I tend to think that these cheerful feelings are normal and expected during the holidays. Sometimes I take them for granted. Recognize when you are feeling especially warm and cheery; maybe you are looking forward to an event or dinner with someone that you haven’t seen in a long time. Shining a light on these feelings can make the experience bolder and more memorable!
This time of year is absolutely magical, and can come and go very quickly. I hope that you can find moments to pause and take a mindful look around this season! Create new memories by embracing the sounds, the lights, the smells, and the tastes of your personal holiday!
May your days be mindful and bright!
Happy Holidays from Citrus & Sun!
Wishing you zest & light,
Stephanie
Steph,
Your thoughts always make me think! Thank you! No words can express the joy I feel when I receive a notification from Citrus and Sun!
Merry Christmas!
Judy
Judy, thank you SO much!! Your comments always warm my heart!! I hope that you are having a great holiday week! I am sure that I will be seeing you sometime this weekend. I am looking forward to it!! =)
So many good points! So glad I got this newsletter and got reminded to be more mindful during this hectic time of the year. It truly is so important to stop and appreciate each moment, as time flies and lives change! Thank you for this so much! You’re making the world around you so much brighter and happier 🙂 ! Have a wonderful Christmas break!
Hi Milda! Thank you for your feedback, and I am so happy that this post inspired meaningful moments to be recognized! It truly is a crazy and beautiful time of year, and I have found myself also needing to slow down and take in some of these moments that are happening around me, especially during the travel! haha I am so happy that 2017 connected the two of us! I wish you a wonderful holiday with your friends and family!!
Once again, a great read! Merry Christmas to you, Chuck and your families. Miss you all!
Nancy
Thank you, Nancy!! Miss you so much, too. Wishing you a beautiful weekend!! I will be talking to you soon!! =) Love you!
Such a great post, Stephanie! I remember a Christmas season a few years ago, when it was all over and I was getting ready to take the ornaments off the tree, and I realized that I never actually sat down in my living room to look at and enjoy the tree. Between the time we had decorated it a few weeks earlier, and the moment of taking the tree down, had been a whirlwind of Christmas preparations, wrapping and unwrapping, cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning…. and I never took time to relax and take in the moments. I love your reminders to pause and take a mental snapshot of the people, the sounds, the smells, the decorations and the conversation to make memories that will last. Such good advice for a time of year that is about peace and joy, but can be filled with stress as we all try to make everything perfect. I hope you are enjoying every moment of your break!! Merry Christmas to you and Chuck! ~ Suzanne
YES to all of this! I feel like this has been me so many years which is exactly why I wanted to write this post. It is so easy to become caught up in all of the preparations that we forget to enjoy the season. Thank you for sharing such a personal connection, Suzanne! I hope that you are enjoying your break, too!! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
This is such a busy time and it is so easy to miss the joy of it. Thank you for reminding me of the ways to help me stop and smell the hot chocolate. Great post!
Thank you!! I love “stopping to smell the hot chocolate.” What a great phrase for this time of year =)
I am guilty of being overwhelmed by all the holiday obligations I have AND feeling sad for most of the season. This is a great reminder to stop and smell the eggnog. 😉
Stop and smell the eggnog!! I love this!! Feeling overwhelmed is so normal around this time of year so don’t feel guilty! I hope that you can find moments of peace and definitely enjoy that eggnog =) Thanks so much for reading, Casie! Happy holidays!
Stephanie!!! This was such a joy to read- as are all of your posts! You just have such a beautiful way of writing that really makes you loose track of everything else and just be! I am in the car right now with Dave on our way to Chicago and I loved what you said about making the car ride an “event”! Definitely gonna try and do this more on this trip! Sometimes it just feels so long! I loved all of your moments that you suggested and will be trying to be even more mindful over these next couple days! I really appreciate you and your friendship! So glad we are friends and so glad I get the chance to read your blog and know you better through your writing! Merry Christmas to you and Chuck!
Thank you so much, Erin! I have really enjoyed following your holiday through your photos and your blog, and I am wishing you and Dave safe travels on your journey!! I am so happy that 2017 brought us together! =) Thank you for your support with Citrus & Sun, and your amazing friendship!!
Great post! Great points! Thanks for sharing…really enjoyed reading it
Thanks, Doreen, I am so glad you enjoyed it!! I hope your holiday has been merry and bright!
This is such a great idea! It’s important to pause and remember how lucky you are, especially over the holidays.
Cristina
https://criddlemethis.com/
Yes, I totally agree, Christina! There are so many simple, everyday things to feel thankful for around this time of year. Thank you for stopping by Citrus & Sun!!
The photo on the dock is BREATHTAKING. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post. It was the highlight of my day.
Natasha, thank you so much for your kind words!! I will be sure to pass your compliment onto my husband who does all of my photos! =) Thank you so much for reading my post! Happy Holidays!!
What a wonderful way to incorporate mindfulness into the holidays. I especially like your suggestions for being in the moment when you’re traveling in the holiday season. When I travel, I often find myself getting anxious and stressed because I’m focused on the destination and everything else seems to be an obstacle to that goal. Turning the the travel into part of the journey is such a lovely way to remove the stress from traveling. The next time I’m traveling (which is in two weeks), I’m going to keep reminding myself of your words : “I will get there and everything is going to be okay.” Thank-you for your inspiration
Hi Nicole!! Yes, I also feel that staying mindful and calm while I am traveling is something that I personally need to work on. It can get so difficult when you just want to reach your destination, or if traffic/weather is tricky! Wishing you safe travels on your next journey! Thanks so much for stopping by Citrus & Sun!!
Holidays bring so much excitement in our heart, not everything happens according to our plan but we really care about memories, we shared with oir family and friends. Love your idea to enjoys road on holidays as most of the time the road journey is more exciting than destination. Keep writing so we can feel the world. Great Read!!!
Thank you so much for your positive feedback and for taking time to read this post! Yes, sometimes our schedule does not go according to plan, and that can be difficult, especially during the holidays. Making memories is the most important thing! Wishing you a warm and bright holidays season!
Long post but felt so good reading this. Great write-up! Looking forward to the next ones. Have a happy new year!
Thank you, Nikhila! I appreciate you taking time to read my post, and I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by Citrus & Sun =) Happy Holidays!!