Just in Time!
Your Ho-Ho-Holiday Spirit Action Plan
December 2020 Issue
Energy Express by Marilynn Preston
Here comes the December dilemma: Am I going to enjoy this holiday season or not?
We all have obstacles to overcome: too little time; too little money; too much
commercial merrymaking. And that's not to mention the nightly news!
And still, dear reader, we have a personal choice this December: Do I get into the holiday spirit and juice up my well-being... or not? We've got Hanukkah and Christmas and the winter solstice coming up, all leading to the end of the year, when we make resolutions to find true love, or lose 20 pounds, or make good on that promise to work smarter, not harder.
See? Even making end-of-year resolutions can be stressful when you're still in a perfectionist mode.
As your most personal trainer, I'm obliged to remind you that feeling joy— the purpose of celebration—is an outrageously wonderful gift you can give yourself this December.
You can follow the lead of this Maxine greeting card:
“If I want to get into the holiday spirit, I'm gonna need a lot of holiday spirits.”
Or you can let me suggest some options for snuggling up to the Holiday Spirit, a term of art for a nondenominational practice that boosts your well-being and that of your family and friends—one that I will now spell out in limited detail:
“H” IS FOR: HAVE A PLAN.
Move through December with a new awareness of its pleasures and pitfalls. The best way to do that is write it down. Start your journal today.
“O” IS FOR: OBSERVE.
Observe your mood at set times during the day—by chime, by app, by golly. This classic kind of "stop" exercise is very instructive. The mind easily reverts to the negative. This December, try observing your mind in order to shift your thoughts to positive, pleasing, powerful and kind.
“L” IS FOR: LAUGH.
Plan for a lot of laughing this December and your Well-Being Meter will not only register increased endorphin flow but also will begin to tickle your sides with elfin sensors.
“I” IS FOR: IMAGINE.
Imagine what joyful holidays look like. Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? Just play in your imagination. You may want to find a health coach who can help you get there, at least by next year.
“D” IS FOR: DON'T GET IN YOUR OWN WAY.
If you feel yourself resisting all these suggestions, that's OK. But if you feel yourself leaning in, say yes and see what happens.
“A” IS FOR: ACCEPTANCE.
Accept your December 2020 just as it is. Every behavior-modification expert knows that when you can accept your world just the way it is, you begin to sense the power you have to change it.
“Y” IS FOR:
WHY? Sit quietly and ask yourself: "Why am I focusing on a particular change for the new year? Is it something I want for myself, or am I doing it for my doctor, or my partner, or—God forbid—my insurance company?"
“S” IS FOR: SLEEP.
Sleep can help you transition through whatever December dramas you encounter. Sleep allows your brain and body to reset and rejuvenate so it can rock and roll whenever it likes.
“P” IS FOR: PLAY.
Plan some playtime into your busy, crazy December schedule. Playing is what joy feels like, and the molecules of emotion that get released bathe your body in the biochemical equivalent of a double scoop of Rocky Road in a waffle cone.
“I” IS FOR: INSPIRE YOURSELF.
Sure, you can look around at the sale signs and feel you need another reindeer sweater or snowflake earrings, but where would you look if you wanted to boost your well-being? Would you turn to a friend, a poem? Would you turn inside? Do it, and repeat throughout the month.
“R” IS FOR: REST.
Related to sleep, but not the same. To keep your immune system strong and your mood steady, rest during the holidaze with a 20-minute nap, a 10-minute meditation and five minutes of focused breathing per day, every day. (Exercise is good, too.)
“I” IS FOR: INSPIRE OTHERS.
Doing good will make you feel good. End of story (almost).
“T” IS FOR: TAKE THE TIME.
What boosts your own holiday well-being? Family dinners? Avoidance of family dinners? Time in nature? Live music? Look at whatever's left of your December calendar, and schedule yourself for fun.
ENERGY EXPRESS-O!
“If you can't find the spirit of the holidays in your heart,
you'll never find it under a tree.” -Michael Holbrook
Marilynn Preston is the author of Energy Express, America’s longest-running healthy lifestyle column. Her book All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being is available now on Amazon and elsewhere. ©2020 ENERGY EXPRESS LTD.