Having Trouble Finding Your Holiday Spirit?
I literally found myself googling how to get into the holiday spirit recently and realized it was a cry for help (pardon the melodrama, but the struggle was real).
The holidays look very different for me this year than in years past. There's some transition taking place in my life that has me feeling a little nostalgic about creating new traditions. Where to begin? How to begin? What to begin?
So I googled it: How to get into the holiday spirit. I found articles I scuffed at. They had tips like: Listen to Christmas music, Bake and decorate cookies, Start shopping.
These are great and very normal holiday activities, but for me, none of these felt like the right action to take at this time. Who would I bake cookies for? I'm working on cutting back my sugar intake and let's be real- if I bake cookies, I will eat them. Christmas music is not my fav', and shopping for loved ones was an old treasured activity when my siblings were young. The glee in their eyes has faded with adulthood...hehe. Also, shopping to me should be an act of love, not an obligation. Everything on these lists and articles didn't seem right for me.
Then it hit me. Reflection questions! Reflecting on these questions helped me land on the activities I want to do out of love this holiday season and helped drive up my Christmas spirit after exploring the true purpose of this time of year. I hope these are helpful to you too!
Reflection Questions to Help Boost Your Holiday Spirit
Directions: Grab a pen and paper. Set aside 5-10 minutes alone. Complete a 60 second mindfulness practice. Now Reflect:
What makes the holidays for you? Think of the activities, the people who take part in them, where they take place, etc. Write down the details. Is it the smell of incense at midnight mass? Singing Christmas carols? Maybe for you, it is about baking cookies? Dig deep. For me this reflection included traditions that no longer look the same, but when I dug deep I got to the root of what I enjoyed most about those traditions and not necessarily the actual activity that took place the way it used to in the past.
What comes up for you when you dig deep? What words describe the theme of the activity/ activities rather than the activities themselves?
What (new or existing) traditions will you do this year?
How are you self-caring during this traditional time of giving?
Lastly, if I can help you with any of these reflections, self care exploration ideas, and accountability on these action items shoot me a message.
Much love throughout this season and always!
