Protecting Your Peace During the Holiday Season

It’s the beginning of December and the holidays are upon us. This time of year, is filled with hope and excitement but also can be filled with stress and anxiety if we aren’t vigilant about not overextending ourselves. The outside world is constantly seeking for your time and attention. There are so many distractions that are coming at us from all directions. One thing that has helped me is to stay present and not let the distractions creep in is to safeguard my time and be conscious about what things I am willing to commit to. I try to be cognizant about only saying yes to things that are soul filling or things that are going to help me and my family in the long run. It is ok to say no to things that are not in your best interest. In fact, it is necessary for you to say no to the things that you know are going to set you back or cause you to stumble off trail. Practicing delayed gratification and being willing to forego immediate pleasure for long term peace and contentment is one of the important things to keep in mind this holiday season. One of the most surprising things that I learned about myself is just how easily we forget things. This is why I feel that journaling is one of the most underrated health hacks. Every morning, I try to sit down and write in my journal everything that is on my mind for the day, what I need to get done, and what I would like to work on. This helps me to set an anchor and allows me to plan the day in a way that will give me the greatest opportunity for success. Life happens and often times things go don’t go as planned but at least I have an anchor to come back to. It helps me to remember what was truly important for me to work on that day when the stress and worry set in and I get off track. I don’t think that we are meant to live in a constant state of worry or stress. This is a result of the modern world and the demands that are placed on us that are often counterintuitive to how we are supposed to be living our lives. For me, I feel most content and most fulfilled when I am serving my family. I do this by being present for my kids, cooking meals from scratch, and shutting out all of the distractions. Kids truly just want our attention and when we give them our undivided attention they thrive. My home and my family run best when I make our family the priority versus the demands of the outside world. This seems like common sense but if we truly sit back and look at what we are allowing to take over our days this is often not the case. Social media and the algorithms that we are fed are specifically designed to steal our attention. They do an excellent job at that and even though I am aware of how addictive these apps are, I find myself getting sucked in from time to time. It is important to set boundries and be cognizant about how much of your time is being wasted on these apps. In the end do things that bring you true joy and contentment and eat nourishing delicious foods that will make you feel great and give you all of the energy needed to keep up with the extra demands this holiday season. Focus on your family and don’t forget to make time to create memories that you and your family will cherish for a lifetime. Wishing you all a blessed holiday season.