It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s keep things as simple as possible today, including this post, after the busy-ness of the weeks leading up to it. Allow yourself some downtime today to ease into the festivities with a rested spirit.
The holidays can be a real struggle for some people. Making sure you have a calm mindset not only benefits you, it makes everyone around you calmer as well. Don’t believe me? Think about someone with whom you love being in the same room. Are they continuously moving at a frenetic pace, or do they offer you a spot next to them on the couch and lean in to hear every word you have to say? If it’s not the latter, you may want to dig a bit deeper into that.
At my house, downtime means a rousing game of Scrabble (or three), watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” together, and uncomplicated meals people can grab as they wish. Less running, more pausing. More pausing leads to more laughing. And, laughing does all kinds of good things for us, including promoting even more positive vibes. An apropos seasonal snowball effect, you could say.
If downtime is a foreign word in your world, give some of Maria Atwood’s suggestions a try from her post, Why Your Brain Needs a Day of Rest. Aside from her make-ahead meal ideas and tea suggestions, Atwood explains why it’s essential to make room for downtime. She’ll have you scheduling downtime more frequently than special holidays.
What to do if it’s too late for you to make downtime a priority today? Make sure it doesn’t happen next year by earmarking 5 Rules for De-Stressing Your Holidays as a reference. Janette Coleman’s foolproof plan will have you breezing through the holiday season like the rock star you are.
And, if all else fails, add “downtime” to your list for Santa. Merry Christmas, my friends!
Image from iStock/maximkabb.
Paula Widish, author of Trophia: Simple Steps to Everyday Self-Health, is a freelance writer and self-healther. She loves nothing more than sharing tidbits of information she discovers with others. (Actually, she loves her family more than that—and probably bacon too.) Paula has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Public Relations and is a Certified Professional Life Coach through International Coach Academy.
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