The holidays are here again! And while this time of year is all about celebration and joy, it can also be a season of stress, temptations, triggers, and big emotions.
At Zenver, we do our best to integrate therapeutic, somatic, and yoga practices into our daily routines. Simple tools can help us navigate our day-to-day lives with more ease, and these same practices can be life-savers during the holiday season.
Whether you’re hosting a house full of guests, trying to stay sober or cutting back on the booze, navigating a tough family dynamic, or just hoping to find a bit of balance, you can use these tools to minimize stress and maximize your sparkle this holiday season.
Keep reading to learn more about Zenver’s tips on how to show up for yourself while you celebrate the holiday season!
1. Set a Self-Care Intention
The holiday season is often our busiest, and it can be easy to get caught up. If you’re looking for a simple way to ground yourself through the holidays, set an intention for self-care.
Maybe you commit to taking a 10-minute walk everyday or set an intention to meditate daily. Maybe your commitment to yourself is to show up with more grace or to simply listen to your body. Or maybe your intention is more specific — maybe you commit to daily movement, yoga, or pledge to stay on track nutritionally to help manage stress. Whatever your intention, keep it simple and doable. The last thing you need during an already hectic holiday season is another task that seems insurmountable.
2. Stick to Your Routine
Stick to your regular routines as much as possible. The holiday season can throw everything into chaos, but maintaining your own schedule can significantly ease the stress and lessen frustration and resentment. Be mindful of your daily needs — whether it is keeping that exercise class or therapy session on the calendar, staying on top of your nutrition, or maintaining your morning practices — caring for yourself will keep you centered.
If you are in recovery or trying to stay sober, maintaining your routine is especially important during the holidays. Make sure you are staying connected to your recovery community, staying on track with self-care, and maintaining your meeting schedule.
3. Be Aware of Your Emotions
The holiday season is full of stressful situations that are often out of our control — long lines at the post office, traffic jams, temper tantrums from the kiddos (and grown-ups), last-minute changes to plans…the list goes on.
As situations become stressful, take a moment to simply notice how you’re feeling, without any judgment. Emotions and stress reactions can often present as physical cues — an elevated heart rate, queasiness, staggered breathing patterns, and muscle tension are common cues of stress, anxiety, and irritability. It’s perfectly normal to feel these emotions in stressful situations.
Check in with your breath. Staggered breathing and shortness of breath are great cues to offer yourself a break, even if only for a few moments. Give yourself permission to feel your feelings, and remember that emotions — even big ones — are a natural part of life.
4. Pass on Triggering Events
If there is a holiday party or family event on your calendar that is already making you spiral, skip it. Ask yourself why you feel obligated to attend, and include the importance of your own mental health in the conversation. If the event doesn’t align with you, give yourself permission to politely decline. It is always okay for us to put our health and well-being first and focus on ourselves.
Remember, “No,” is a complete sentence — even during the holidays.
5. Take a Purposeful Pause
Give yourself permission to take a purposeful pause whenever you need. Find a quiet space, whether it’s a cozy corner or a room where you can be alone. Take a few moments to check in with yourself — closing your eyes, finding your breath, and feeling the ground beneath your feet. When you’re ready, inhale deeply through the nose, feeling the breath fill your lungs. Pause, and then exhale slowly and completely out of your mouth. Focus on the rhythm and texture of your breath, and repeat this as many times as you need.
Mindful breathing naturally slows the heart rate and regulates the vagus nerve, and invites a sense of calm any time you need.
6. Practice Gratitude and Mindfulness
Today, we live in a society of more. During the holiday season, this is especially apparent, and can make us feel like we do not have enough, do enough, are enough. Taking time to practice gratitude can remind us of the abundance in our lives, and bring us back into the present moment.
Try taking a couple minutes at the beginning or end of your day to write down three things you’re grateful for — no matter how small. Or, integrate mindfulness into
daily activities like eating, walking, or driving to help you get back to gratitude.
Conclusion
Handling ourselves with grace during the stressful holiday season can be hard. But utilizing a few simple but powerful self-care practices, we can empower ourselves to stay aligned with our own needs in the midst of holiday madness.
Zenver Yoga & Holistic Mental Health is here for you during the holidays. With daily yoga classes, community workshops, and psychotherapy offerings for individuals and couples, Zenver is here to help you take the time for you.
To register for a yoga class at Zenver or look at the schedule, visit the Zenver website!