De-Stress and Reclaim the Spirit of the Holiday Season
'Tis the Season .
.
.
for shopping, cooking, traveling, stressing, rehashing family feuds and disappointments, going into debt, pigging out, gaining weight, partying .
.
.
STOP! Let's back up.
'Tis the Season .
.
.
for what, really? Many religions and cultures mark the end of the year as a time to recognize or celebrate significant events or ideas.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ; Hanukkah commemorates the victory of Jewish rebels over the Syrians who sought to rule them and a miracle of 1 day's worth of lamp oil burning for 8 days; Kwaanza recognizes African American heritage and 7 guiding principles for living; and Winter Solstice rituals attempt to bring warmth, light, and cheerfulness into the dark time of the year.
While many of these celebrations included gift-giving of some sort, it was more of a symbolism to the event, not the focus of the event itself.
Alas, though, in our capitalistic country, commercialism seems to have overshadowed the "reason for the season.
"So before you kick into high gear to reach that frantic pace of excess or unpack the emotional baggage of the past yet again, consider what the spirit of the holidays and these occasions are really about--the sacred, love, hope, endings and new beginnings, sharing, and caring--no matter what religion or culture you're from.
If you'd like to focus more on these things and less on the busy-ness and commercialism this year, here are some tips to enter the season with grace, dignity, and ease, and come out the other side feeling good:
Holiday weight gain is NOT inevitable.
Making simple adjustments to recipes, planning for food consumption "trades" at parties, keeping up your exercise routine, drinking water in place of some of your alcohol, as well as working with a wellness coach and using tools such as hypnosis can give you results.
From helping improve your habits to helping you generate high levels of achievement, hypnosis and/or coaching have been proven to have immense benefits.
You can read about some of them on my website on the "About Lisa" page.
.
.
for shopping, cooking, traveling, stressing, rehashing family feuds and disappointments, going into debt, pigging out, gaining weight, partying .
.
.
STOP! Let's back up.
'Tis the Season .
.
.
for what, really? Many religions and cultures mark the end of the year as a time to recognize or celebrate significant events or ideas.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ; Hanukkah commemorates the victory of Jewish rebels over the Syrians who sought to rule them and a miracle of 1 day's worth of lamp oil burning for 8 days; Kwaanza recognizes African American heritage and 7 guiding principles for living; and Winter Solstice rituals attempt to bring warmth, light, and cheerfulness into the dark time of the year.
While many of these celebrations included gift-giving of some sort, it was more of a symbolism to the event, not the focus of the event itself.
Alas, though, in our capitalistic country, commercialism seems to have overshadowed the "reason for the season.
"So before you kick into high gear to reach that frantic pace of excess or unpack the emotional baggage of the past yet again, consider what the spirit of the holidays and these occasions are really about--the sacred, love, hope, endings and new beginnings, sharing, and caring--no matter what religion or culture you're from.
If you'd like to focus more on these things and less on the busy-ness and commercialism this year, here are some tips to enter the season with grace, dignity, and ease, and come out the other side feeling good:
- Limit your food/alcohol consumption at parties
- Don't accept every party invitation you're given
- Purge your Christmas card list of people you haven't heard from in 2 years
- Make a gift for the special people in your life or choose just 1 or 2 well-thought-out gifts (they'll remember and appreciate them more and are less likely to be "re-gifted")
- Go to a service or event that represents the spirit of the season or celebration
- Leave the hurt feeling, grudges, and anger in the past--don't rehash at holiday get-togethers (it makes you look bad and embarrasses everyone else)
- Celebrate with people you enjoy spending time with (even if it's not your family)
- Create healthy new holiday traditions (like a stroll after dinner or a healthier version of an old favorite recipe)
- For the person who has everything, make a donation in their name to a cause or an organization important to them
- If you've recently lost a loved one, find a way to celebrate and remember their life, not the end of it (e.
g.
, plant something in their honor, start a scholarship fund in their name).
Holiday weight gain is NOT inevitable.
Making simple adjustments to recipes, planning for food consumption "trades" at parties, keeping up your exercise routine, drinking water in place of some of your alcohol, as well as working with a wellness coach and using tools such as hypnosis can give you results.
From helping improve your habits to helping you generate high levels of achievement, hypnosis and/or coaching have been proven to have immense benefits.
You can read about some of them on my website on the "About Lisa" page.
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