Illustrated by Clare Wasserman for the book “My Mindful Book of ABC’s” www.peaceplaceforkids.com
‘Tis is the season to be…. stressed, overwhelmed and busy. Oh no!
We are all running around with big to do-lists. Guests are coming, there are parties to attend, gifts to buy, and events at school. Well I say, “ba humbug” to that! Making this year’s holiday season mindful for everyone in your family means slowing it down. The most important thing we can do is focus on balance. Holiday time is a really great time to practice mindfulness. If you can work it into your busy schedule during this season, then it will be easy to be mindful all year long. It’s really about adding some simple, fun activities that help harmonize the stressful running around we all do during this time. Remember to set your watches and app as a reminder to breathe some deep, wonderful breaths, relax and stay in the moment. Here are seven simple steps to keeping it mindful this holiday season.
1) Cross it off the list! What I mean by crossing off things is that you don’t need to go to everything. If you have six parties to go to, cross three off the list. Try cutting your commitments by half.
2) Make some handmade ornaments or gingerbread houses. Get the hot chocolate brewing, put the holiday music on and invite some of your children’s friends over to make something beautiful together. See if you can put the phone away and stay in the moment with your children. Focus on the fun of creating together as a family. The bonus being you will have some fun handmade treasure to give the grandparents.
3) Plan a movie night. Pop the popcorn, get in your jammies, let the whole family (including the dog) climb into bed to watch a movie. Share some of your favorite holiday movies from when you were a child. Watching some oldies but goodies will make new memories that will last a lifetime.
4) Add some family yoga into the week. Do a relaxing yoga class with your child where you breathe, move, stretch, say wonderful positive affirmations, and relax into a meditation. You will be pleasantly surprised how much better your holiday season will be.
5) Make a storybook with your child about Christmas morning. Print photos, draw pictures and write about how they felt, what presents they got, and what they left for Santa Clause. This allows them to remember all of the wonderful holiday memories and will be a storybook treasure that will last many generations.
6) Go for a walk in the snow, go sleigh riding or make a snowman! In other words, get out in nature and have some fun.
7) Bake cookies together and make gifts for teachers. Kids love making cookies especially decorating with sprinkles. Find some pretty tins that make pretty gifts. Fill them with cookies and add a hand-made card expressing gratitude.
Remember tis’ the season to be jolly…. Peaceful, loving, and joyful!!!