5 Ways to Survive and Thrive During the Holidays

Ways to Survive and Thrive This Holiday Season

By Mallika Chopra

The irony of the holiday season is that many of us are unprepared for the stress and anxiety that comes with planning for a joyous and celebratory occasion. This year’s economic downturn may bring additional stress in the form of tighter wallets, a smaller travel budget and family tension in the form of well-meaning, but insensitive, questions about a family member’s unemployment. And let’s not even get started with the weight gain that comes from indulging too much in holiday snacks…  

Here are some action steps to survive this holiday season with your physical, emotional and spiritual health completely intact.  

1. Set some clear intentions about your goals this holiday season.

Setting an intention is always a powerful exercise. It helps pave the way for your decisions, and provides a mental anchor for your internal dialogue, which leads to productive action.  

For example, if your intent is to create memorable memories with your extended family, you will have the emotional resilience to not take it personally when confronted by overly nosy relatives or an unintentionally hurtful comment.  

If your intent is to keep your budget in check, then you will know that less is more when choosing gifts for your loved ones. The best present I got last year was a gift certificate from my daughter for a cuddle in bed and a story. Choose gifts from the heart, and it will be easier to keep your budget and perspective in place.  

2. Find a few moments of alone time.

For this holiday season, take some time off for yourself, even if it’s only for five minutes a day. Perhaps it is going outside for a walk in the evenings, or sitting in bed for a few extra minutes in a meditative pose before you begin your mornings. Even during the middle of the day, you can close your eyes, observe your breath, and embrace the silence between your thoughts before you feel tempted to micro-manage the family to-do list.  

3. Be physical

Go out for a run, play a game of basketball or football with your kids, or simply enjoy an outdoor walk in the brisk autumn weather. Physical exercise is one of the best ways to remove toxins from your body—and for releasing endorphins, the happy chemicals that keep us upbeat, energetic and optimistic.  

When you have a regular physical work-out routine, you are also saving yourself the stress of beginning an exercise routine to work off those holiday pounds.

4. Keep the items of your personal wellness tool-kit in reach

Anytime you are tempted to reach for an extra holiday cookie or plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, you can instead reach into your personal wellness toolkit that will keep your unhealthy habits at bay. In the kitchen or even your bedroom, you may want to keep a box or basket of healthy products—such as herbal teas, energy bars, Rescue Remedy products, multivitamins, cough drops, aromatherapy pillows, or even small framed pictures of your family and loved ones.  

Be creative with your personal wellness tool-kit. You may want to have some of these items stashed in your car or in your purse so that no matter where you go, you will have tools that will keep you grounded and healthy.

5. Consciously be gracious and give back

Never underestimate the power of saying thank you—to your friends, family, to a higher being, and to yourself. While times may be especially tough this year, look around and be conscious of the abundance that surrounds you in the form of good health and nourishing relationships. If you have a job and a roof over your head, count your blessings and keep in mind that countless people are unemployed, homeless, and in dire need of help. Give back to your community and the word at large in whatever way you can give this year.  

You can donate old possessions and clothing to a local Goodwill, donate money to your favorite charity, or give in the form of volunteer time at soup kitchens. If you want to be creative with gift-giving, you can give gift certificates to charities to family and friends, who can then choose how they want to use the money to benefit a cause.  

Remember that you can always give to others in the form of loving attention, a sincere compliment, or even a friendly smile to the overworked store clerk who had to deal with rude customers all day.  

Let us all end this year with a sense of gratitude and giving to the people around us, as these are the things that make for a meaningful holiday season.    
 

Mallika Chopra is the author of 100 Promises To My Baby, and the founder of Intent.com.  Visit Intent this holiday season for more tips on managing stress this holiday season and celebrating with joy and grace.

‘Tis the season for sharing good intentions in preparing for 2010. Need some motivation on celebrating the end of 2009 with minimal stress and optimal cheer? Post an intent on how you plan on opening your heart for 2010 and receive support from the community now!