Ahhh the Christmas season begins. Social events, Christmas parties, work, friends, catch-up, shopping, food preparation, presents, holidays, family and organising all of it on top of our normal day to day. It’s no wonder the holidays can become less fun and our own self-care practices slip away leaving us in one big hot mess come Christmas Day.
This year I am making the commitment and setting my intention to approach this silly season grounded and joyful.
Here are a few ways that I will be manifesting Joy and staying grounded.
1. Coming back to my Big Why?
Why celebrate Christmas? Why buy presents? Why cook at the meals? Why partake in so many social engagements? My Big Why is: it brings me and my loved ones Joy.
- Spending time connecting with those around me is very important to me
- Giving someone a gift that is well thought out and then seeing the joy on their face
- Making food with Bakti (love/devotion) to be shared and enjoyed.
Remembering this at times when I notice negative thoughts coming up or when I get flustered and stressed will help me change my approach, which brings me to the next point…
2. Choosing to approach everything with Joy
When it’s 2 days before Christmas and you have to battle the shopping crowds or you’re sitting in traffic on your way to the 4th Social engagement of the week, it’s easy to get into negative thought pattern. However, by bringing awareness in at these times and choosing to approach it with joy I know I will have a much better experience. As an example, using the traffic as a chance to bathe in the extra time to yourself in the car and listen to your favourite song.
3. Practicing Yoga Regularly
It’s easy at this time to let your yoga practice slip. However, I know that the reward of getting to the yoga class is going to far outweigh the effort. I am going to feel more energised and happier in my body and my self. It will also give me a chance to connect with my intention and my big why!
4. Prioritise self-care rituals and schedule it in first.
If you’re anything like me your diary is already looking pretty full. With all that is going on in the Silly season, self-care can sometimes be left to chance. However this year I am scheduling it in first. For me these are my top 4 non-negotiable self-care needs:
- Minimum 3 yoga classes each week
- 1 morning at home by myself that I can go at my own pace
- Regular nutritious meals = weekly meal planning and shopping
- Average 8 hours sleep each night
So I have scheduled them into my diary (yes, I scheduled sleep) for the whole of Dec and everything else that gets added will go in around it.
So take 5 minutes now to close your eyes and ask yourself these questions:
- What is your Big Why for the Silly of Christmas?
- How do you want to approach it?
- What are your non-negotiable self-care needs?
Write it down, put it on the fridge, bathroom mirror or screen saver on your phone to remind yourself each day. So you too can change the ‘silly’ season to the ‘joyful’ season.
About the author: Stephanie Williams’ love for the human body, its biochemistry and biomechanics, lead her to study Nutrition and Exercise Science at Deakin University. Stephanie knew she loved teaching and empowering people, so when the opportunity arose for Stephanie to do her yoga teacher training, she took it. It didn’t take long before Stephanie realised how much she loved sharing the experience of yoga with her students. She strongly believes that her job as a teacher is to meet her students where they are on any given day and help them connect and trust their body. Stephanie works within the framework of her students goals and provides them with a meaningful practice that empowers them to achieve.
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