Do you feel “grinchy” or grateful during the holidays? You aren’t alone if you have mixed emotions. Holidays can put more on your to do list which you may dread or find it causes you stress.
How you navigate the holidays is your choice! You may say, “I don’t have a choice”. You always have a choice! You may not like one of the choices. In the end, feeling comfortable with your choices is important even if others don’t always like your choices. Remember Be Creative you never know what you might come up with that is even better than what you did before.
If you overextend yourself and get overwhelmed you may miss the joy of the season or get sick during or after the holidays. Whatever makes the holidays meaningful for you, whether it’s full engagement or just a quieter reflective holiday… let your senses help you out!
Using Your Senses can make your holidays less overwhelming
and more manageable – 4 Simple but Powerful Tips!
- What smells make you happy? Take a few moments during the holidays and focus on using your sense of smell. You can enjoy the scents of the season reminding you of a favorite holiday memory. Smells can also bring up sad memories. If that happens it’s important to allow the feelings and then focus on a different memory or scent that soothes you or gives feelings of peace or joy.
- What are your favorite foods? Savor something on your plate using your sense of taste. The hustle and bustle of getting a meal ready can cause you to eat quickly. Slow down as you eat and focus on a few bites of your favorite foods and notice the flavors and the textures. Doing this for a few bites or more will make a huge difference in your stress level and allow you to enjoy the meal.
- What are the sounds of the season you enjoy? Do you have some favorite holiday music? Sing along with the music or just enjoy listening. Music can reduce the anxiety or stress and can create a bit of inner peace.
- Stop for a few moments and take time to visually enjoy the lights or decorations. taking in the details with your sense of sight. As you enjoy the beauty of something, you connect to the beauty within yourself.
To find out more including how to use your sixth sense to guide you using your other 5 senses, listen to the newest podcast Grateful or Grinchy Using Your Six Senses to Navigate the Holidays Podcast.
Discover more easy, quick practical ideas using your 6 senses to manage and navigate the holidays for less stress and more joy listen to:
Grateful or Grinchy: Using Your Six Senses to Navigate the Holidays Podcast.