5 Ways to a Calm, Magical Holiday

The chocolate chip rolling in my mouth is creamy, sweet. The list in my head mushrooms as I dump morsels in my hand. Yum. Work deadlines, food planning, family dynamics, potential gathering with out-of-town friends… Lots to accomplish the weekend before Thanksgiving.

It’s only the beginning of the holiday season.

Last week I got religion about communicating effectively on my website. Which means tweaking and editing on the computer 12+ hours a day, plus the deep self-assessment I wanted to do. For three days. I went to bed sideways in a sitting position.

By the time my teenager, who was now on school vacation, asked me if his friend can come over, I barked. I showered him with requirement and scowls. I balked at being unable to wear sweats around guests.

I feel bad. He doesn’t have people over often because we don’t live near school.

Truth is, I am exhausted. I am eating chocolate for a boost. For weeks I happily contain my filled balloon of to-do’s. A pin prick of a request popped it. The whack-a-mole energy pour out like the Niagara Falls. Does this happen to you?

Magic would help. Yes, as in energy flow, divine company, and appreciation. I forget that I have resources at hand. So do you.

1. Energetic grounding
This gets you to stay in the body, in the present. I ask clients to ground before every Reiki session. It works. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, envision a column going from the base of your spine (seat area) to the center of the Earth. Feel the connection under you. If you are standing, try connecting under your feet.

2. Protection
It centers me when I get in the car, go to public places. We in a cosmic soup of changing and imploding energies. This can make the collective anxious. Add the holiday expectations, you get the moles in the whack-a-mole in the grocery stores, parking lots, 4-way stop signs. I ask Archangel Michael to surround me in light, to only let in energy that serves my highest good to come through. If there is another spiritual energy you feel more comfortable to invoke, feel free to do so.

3. Rest on a regular basis
Make sure you get your full set of hours each night. How often do we put our wellness after other priorities? As an ENFP in Myers Briggs and triple fire in my chart, I work in big spurts. I stayed up 3 nights and paid for it in the next 2. I need to drop the mindset of ‘I’ll make up sleep later.’ For me this takes discipline, but my body is worth it.

4. Change the pattern with music, nature, stretching, meditation
Or a jig. 10 minutes of doing something different can shift how you feel about someone or something. Snap out of the hold of stress. Shut your eyes, imagine visiting your favorite places. Picture your child’s face when she was a baby. Go for a walk. For now I have Sting’s ‘Best Of’ in the background. Soothing.

5. Find meaning in the season
Holidays are a time to celebrate light, loved ones, the act of giving. They can be loaded, but I think they were created with good intentions. Modern life has piled on should’s, must-have’s, even the idea of expected chaos. Does it need to be that way? If you can pick one thing this season represents to you, what would it be?

TED talks on slowing down and enjoy life
Kris Carr’s holiday survival guide and planner