In the Flow with Healing Waters

The holidays are upon us. It happens the same time every year and each year I feel it surprises me. Maybe that’s age talking!?

What do the holidays mean to you? Are they filled with fun times with children, grandchildren and family? Or busy days shopping, endless celebrations and mindless eating? Maybe they are lonely or filled with stress and anxiety from time spent with family and relatives? You may look forward to the holidays or dread them.

Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday since there’s no pressure of gift giving and we just get together to share a good meal.

How will you approach the upcoming holidays?

My mom has dementia and lives in a memory care home. I’ve had lots of time to observe the staff and their interactions with my mom and the other ladies living there. Some of the workers move fast and loud and just want to get their job done. I’m sure their to-do list is long. But my mom and the other ladies move slowly and are often startled by fast movement and loud noises. Other staff approach slowly and speak kindly and softly to the ladies. What a difference that makes in their response to them and what they are asking them to do.

We each get to choose our approach to the upcoming holiday season… Will your to-do list be massive? Are you going to procrastinate and become stressed out and likely make others around you stressed? How do you want to approach family, friends and coworkers? Will you come in hot, maybe a little too loud and demanding or approach quietly and with kindness? You get to choose, I get to choose.

Try implementing these three things into your daily life and perhaps your holidays will be more enjoyable:

Be present

Becoming present will ease your mind of fears, worries, plans or regrets. Take 15 minutes daily to meditate, to ground your mind and become present. You will feel different.

Breathe

That seems obvious but when we’re stressed breathing becomes rapid and shallow. Practice belly breathing like a baby. Breathe slowly and bring your breath into your belly.

Be kind

How do you want to be? It’s likely you only have to be with certain people for a short time during the holidays, being kind with our words and actions is powerful. How do you want to be? If you run into a hot topic with “Uncle Bob” excuse yourself and talk with someone else or find another topic of conversation. How do you want to be?

I wish you well as you approach the holidays. Give yourself grace and be kind to yourself as well.

Choose to approach with gratitude and kindness.

In the flow of the holidays,

Teresa