The holidays are an amazing time for soaking up the good vibes. The spirit of love, peace, giving and forgiveness permeate the air. You just have to slow down long enough to enjoy it. If you live in a big city and have a big family like I do, that can be a challenge. Between holiday traffic jams and seemingly endless festivities, it becomes really easy to soak in hectic energy and become ungrounded.
What’s a guy or gal to do? Here are a few ways to help you slow down and enjoy the magical memories in the moment.
Focus on holiday affirmations to help you relieve stress.
When you feel yourself becoming agitated or anxious, take 10-15 minutes to just breathe. The best option is to go in a room by yourself, even if it’s the bathroom, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Repeat one of these affirmations as you breathe in and out.
- I am blessed.
- I believe in humanity.
- I give myself permission to enjoy the holidays as I did when I was a child.
- I allow myself to be carefree.
- It is safe for me to let go and enjoy the moment.
- I am connected with love and peace.
- I live with inner harmony.
- I view each moment through the eyes of gratitude.
- I am love.
- It is safe for me to share love.
- What I have to give is enough.
- My heart makes memories, not my wallet.
Get grounded to connect with the moment.
One of my favorite ways to get grounded is to go outside barefoot and walk in the grass or sit under a tree. You could also try running water over your hands in a sink, taking a bath or just putting your feet in water.
If this sounds like a page from a hippie’s guide to life, consider that connecting with nature is a powerful way to go outside of your head and your emotions and connect back to your body and your spirit. You’ve probably heard of stories about spiritual gurus who went to the mountains, stayed there for weeks and came back enlightened. This is because they recognized that being with nature is a large part of the spiritual experience, but you don’t have to go on a retreat to experience the benefits.
When your mind is racing, it can be extremely beneficial to focus on what is right in front of you. Being with nature is a wonderful way to do that. When you do that, focus on the physical sensations of touching the grass, water, etc. Give thanks for being in that moment in time. You may also choose to meditate or do a breathing exercise.
Holiday spiritual quotes
For whatever reason, sometimes ideas don’t really stick with us until we hear it from someone else. Here are a few quotes about the holiday season and spirituality that may also help you alter your perspective and relax.
“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” – Rumi
“Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.” ― Eckhart Tolle
“All there is to do, right at this very moment, is breathe in, breathe out, and kiss the joy as it flies.” – Dani Shapiro
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ― Hamilton Wright Mabie
“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” ― Andy Rooney
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” – Roy L. Smith
“Love the giver more than the gift.” – Brigham Young
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.” – Rainer Maria Rilke