Ready or not, the holidays are here! If you find yourself wrapped up in the holiday bustle without a moment to pause, you are not alone. Between the gift shopping and wrapping, cookie baking, party throwing and tree trimming, it's all too easy to let these precious weeks fly by without savoring the experiences we love. Commit to making this year different by setting intentions, rethinking traditions and letting go of things that you do not enjoy. Here are eight ways to get started.
2. Build a moment of gratitude into your daily routine. It seems easiest to tack this onto something you do already, such as sipping your first cup of coffee or tea in the morning, using that as your cue. Think about three things you are grateful for and three things you can do to make the day special for yourself and those around you.
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4. Think back to what you loved to do as a child. One thing I remember very fondly was going with my grandma each year to the "Teddy Bear Tea" in a local mansion. The home was fully decked out for the holidays, with Christmas trees in every room, elaborate imaginative scenes and plenty of cookies and sweets. While I probably won't make it to such a tea this year, I could certainly remember my grandma by visiting one of the grand holiday homes for a concert or open house.
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6. Be intentional about traditions. There is something powerful about traditions that are handed down from generation to generation — even something as simple as trimming the tree can become a time for passing on family history, as the stories behind the ornaments are shared. Some traditions may have once been practiced by your family but stopped for one reason or another, and you may want to reinstate a personal favorite. Other traditions can be stifling and no longer relevant to our lives. In that case, it can feel freeing to let go of the tradition that is no longer serving you.
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