7 Tips for being

Present This Holiday Season

The holidays are officially here. This time of year can be wonderful, dreadful, hectic, and just a roller coaster of emotions. I wanted to make a list of ways to check in with yourself, so here are 7 tips for being present this holiday season.

Prepare

Take a couple of hours to prepare for the season and talk through many of the questions that will come up like how many parties you actually want to go to. This year, we took a fall picnic to check in with each other and talk about our holiday plans.

set intentions

What are your intentions this holiday season? What do you want to get out of it this year? I find that setting a few goals will help you get the most out of the holidays. We can't do it all, so decide what the most important things are ahead of time.

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GET OUTSIDE

Nature is healing, but the hardest part is getting out the door. The colder it gets the more I want to stay cooped up by the fireplace than venture out into the great outdoors. One of the best things I did earlier this year was to invest in appropriate gear.

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It's easy to fall into over-consuming. I practice gratitude daily. Even if you’re not ready to make it a daily practice, try to find a few times to list out what you’re thankful for. They can be really small things, but the more you practice, the more content you will be.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

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share

The holidays are all about sharing. Sharing your time with those that mean the most to you. Sharing gifts and acts of kindness. Sharing resources with those less fortunate. Ask how you can share kindness because that’s what this season is all about!

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Between Instagram and Pinterest, there’s so much pressure to have the PERFECT Christmas. It’s OK if one of the side dishes doesn’t come out of the oven at the right time or if the gingerbread house is leaning to the left. The fun part should be the process.

REMOVE THE PRESSURE

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Try and find some time to unplug. With constant email notifications on our phones and social media just a tap away, it’s easy to get lost in the tech vortex. Try and set aside a few hours or days to be completely unplugged. Use the time to truly be present with your family.

unplug

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