Making the Holidays Easier

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Now that we’re well into the Christmas season, many of gifts may be yours:

• Increased workloads, festive gatherings, and trips

• More food, more alcohol, more extravagance

• An increase in consumer debt due to increased spending and shopping

The season is lovely, but it can also be somewhat demanding.

Here I will discuss some ideas for making the Christmas season more leisurely.

Envision a season where you take it easy and reflect.

This is a time for both socializing and spending time alone.

We are entering a season of both joy and peace.

An era in which, rather than exhaustion, you fortify your resolve.

That is the object of our attention!

Reducing the Overabundance

Overindulgence in food, drink, shopping, and spending is common throughout the Christmas season.

During the Christmas season, many people put on extra pounds and rack up more debt.

Our systems are already under a lot of stress, and this type of excess only makes things worse.

Overeating and excessive drinking throughout the holidays just makes us feel worse.

Imagine if there was another way.

Take into account the following options:

• When you aren’t visiting relatives, try to limit your intake of junk food.

  Just think about the daily benefits of reducing your intake of sugar, flour-based products, and fried meals.

  Eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and entire grains.

  By strengthening our bodies in this way, we will be able to enjoy a little indulgence when we gather to celebrate.

  Enjoy that second piece of pie during the celebration; you haven’t been snacking excessively throughout the month.

• Drink less alcohol too.

  Although I do not believe alcohol to be inherently bad, I do believe that we should not consume it daily.

  What if, instead of drinking every day, you limited yourself to one or two drinks when you were around friends or family?

  There would be less wear and tear on your body.

• Spend less money on shopping.

  Even while I like giving gifts, I hate how much money people spend and how much stress there is in the holiday shopping season.

  Imagine you had a family discussion and decided to offer consumable presents (baked chocolate chip cookies, a gift certificate to a restaurant) or experiential gifts (a picnic, a bike ride, a reading session, a mountain trek, etc.).

  You wouldn’t add to people’s clutter, save money, and help reduce the massive amount of trash produced over the season.

• Get some mild exercise and cut back on stress.

  Regular exercise, without overdoing it, can strengthen your immune system.

  Exercising too much can just make you more stressed out.

  Exercising lowers stress levels generally, so take it easy but don’t skip sessions.

  In a similar vein, prioritize self-care and breathing by removing items from your to-do list and schedule.

Less excess and less stress are the end results of all these notions.

They make you more resilient in general.

The Time of Year for Deceleration

We become more resilient when we let rid of excess.

But what if we could take advantage of this lovely season to go at a much slower pace?

Darker and colder days characterize this season for many, which, if we’re not in a good mood, might impact our outlook.

Alternatively, it might be a fantastic opportunity to relax and unwind.

Take into account these concepts:

• Make the most of the shorter days by taking it easy, not rushing, and not trying to do as much.

• Just because it’s becoming colder doesn’t mean you can’t stay indoors and read a book or write in your diary.

• This last month of the year is a great opportunity to think back on the last year, reflect on your life so far, and plan for the future.

• Embrace the beauty of nature’s ever-shifting seasons by going for walks in peace and quiet.

  Think about what you’ve learned and what you can let go of.

• Remove everything that isn’t absolutely necessary from your life, whether it’s tangible objects, unfinished business, unanswered emails, or anything else that makes you feel overwhelmed.

Embrace the peacefulness of this time of year.

It tastes great.