I invite you to exercise some self-care and for just a moment take a deep breath. Slow down just for a few minutes, relax your shoulders, relax your jaw, take another deep breath. Center yourself just for a moment and breathe deeply. Roll your shoulders forward a few times and backward a few times. It's all good, you've got this, you've totally got this! Inhale in the smells of the holidays and exhale out the busyness.
Maybe you want everything to be picture perfect, please know that it doesn't have to be. If you are feeling really stressed, what can you let go...besides your sleep? Can you skip one batch of cookies? Can you pass on scrubbing the kitchen floor? What can you let go to make life a little easier, so you can enjoy more and stress a little less?
I invite you to savor the holiday times together, to reflect upon the real reason for the season, to look at it through the lens of a child. Look at your family and friends, the twinkling lights, the food and the treats all with child-like wonder, child-like awe, child-like curiosity, excitement and the belief in miracles.
I invite you to stop and take a moment to be grateful. Express your gratitude for all of the many blessings in your life. What do you have right now in this moment to be grateful for? Let that be your focus, center on that.
I invite you to practice loving kindness. To perform lots of random acts of kindness, people can use it this time of year. There are a lot of people who struggle during the holidays. Now is a great time to be of service to others. Small gestures of kindness can change the trajectory of someone's day. It can be as simple as a warm smile, holding open the door, being patient with a sales clerk, or delivering a plate of cookies.
As you are busying through the next few weeks, I invite you to take several moments to exercise self-care and to take a deep breath. Center yourself and soak in the moment. Be present, savor what you are doing, what you are creating, what you are enjoying, what you are grateful for. Stop, look and listen to all of the lights, the beauty, the sounds and smells all around you. Savor the moment, just for a few minutes at least, and breathe deeply. Inhale in the smells of the holidays and exhale out the busyness. You've got this, you've totally got this!