The holiday season is a wonderful time for friends and family to make lasting memories. However, the season also comes with the stress and anxiety of shopping for gifts, cooking elaborate meals, and last-minute flight changes. Using some helpful meditation techniques will not only reduce your stress but also let you enjoy this time with your loved ones.
Take A Step Back
Before the real chaos of your season begins, take a moment to pause and consider your purpose. Ask yourself what you want out of the holiday season. Most people set the bar very high during this season and then feel guilty when they don’t measure up.
Mindful meditation keeps you fully present in the moment. Find a quiet spot and close your eyes while you think about your purpose during this busy time. When you find yourself in stressful moments, you can use this method to recall your purpose.
Mindful Meditation Promote Calmness
We can all agree that more calmness is always a good thing to have during the holiday season. Spending time practicing before and during this time will create more peace in your spirit. Taking time to calm yourself will also add a sense of peace to those around you.
Try listening to soft nature music as you close your eyes and focus on your breath. If you don’t prefer music, find alternative calming sounds that put you in a relaxed state of mind and body.
Push Out Negative Thoughts
Holiday stress makes it difficult to handle simple tasks or manage responsibilities you have. Negative thoughts eventually find their way into your mind and anxiety takes over. Instead of dwelling on the things you can’t control, shift your focus on the things you can handle.
Accept that some things may not go the way you hope. Practicing mindful meditation trains your mind and body to cope with negativity. Close your eyes and focus on breathing the negative feelings out and welcoming the positive feelings back in.
Ease Anxiety With Awareness
Along with pushing out negative thoughts, it’s important to do what you can to reduce stress-induced anxiety. If you don’t deal properly with stress, it can lead to anxiety and other health issues. Mindful meditation promotes self-awareness which helps you recognize anxiety triggers in your life.
Before you begin feeling anxious, follow these techniques.
Practice Body Scanning
Scanning your body is a technique that promotes total relaxation of the body and mind. As you sit in a quiet place, spend a few minutes breathing deeply. Then, focus on each body part from your head to your toes. This helps release physical and mental tension.
Focus Your Breath
We often don’t realize how important our breath is to our health. Taking long, slow, deep breaths will help you view your body in a positive way. This is a powerful skill and creates internal and external awareness.You’ll become more aware of positive and negative forces inside yourself as well those around.
Repeat Prayers or Mantras
If you have a specific prayer or mantra that is meaningful to you, use it in your meditation practice. While you’re focusing on your breath, silently repeat it to yourself. This is especially helpful when you’re driving or cooking during this season and can’t step away for a quiet practice.
Any of these techniques will ease anxiety while increasing your self-awareness. When you’re feeling the holiday stress, find one that works best for you and practice making it a daily routine. Remember that mindful meditation is a practice so work to dedicate a little time to it every day.