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Craving More Space This Holiday Season? Here’s How to Hold Space for Yourself and Others

Jaclyn Baker

The holiday season is often filled with bustling schedules and endless to-do lists, leaving little room for peace and connection. But what if the key to a more fulfilling season is not doing more, but holding space—for yourself and those you care about?

What Does “Holding Space” Mean?

Holding space is the act of offering presence and care without pressure to fix or change things. It’s about creating room—mentally, emotionally, and physically—to be with ourselves and others. This can be especially powerful during the holidays when emotions can run high, and time is scarce.

Why Do We Need More Space This Holiday Season?

In the chaos of holiday planning, we often need to remember the importance of slowing down. Holding space helps us embrace uncertainty, recharge, and nurture meaningful connections with loved ones. It allows us to step back, reflect, and simply be.

How to hold space for yourself and others. Here are three simple tips to create more space this season:

Get Curious

Under-book your schedule: Leave room for spontaneity and reflection. Less is more.

Ask more questions: Embrace curiosity and avoid the pressure to have all the answers.

Savor small moments: Take time to appreciate little joys, like a quiet moment or a beautiful light display.

Open Up

Embrace all your emotions: Allow yourself to feel both the joy and the challenges of the season.

Be present with others: Put down your phone and show up with your full attention.

Step outside: Nature offers a great space to recharge and reflect.

Focus Your Energy

Prioritize what matters: Spend time with people and activities that align with your values.

Stay intentional: Choose to be present and mindful in your interactions.

Align with your values: Whether you want to be relaxed, festive, or brave, embody these qualities this season.

Final Thoughts: Less Can Be More

This holiday season, less scheduling and more presence can create meaningful moments for connection and joy. By holding space for yourself and others, you can reduce stress and cultivate a deeper sense of fulfillment. Embrace the power of space and experience a more peaceful, intentional holiday season.

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Embracing Joy: A Holistic Guide to Holiday Season Wellness

Jaclyn Baker
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The holiday season is upon us, bringing with it a whirlwind of traditions, expectations, and emotions. 

For many, it’s a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Yet, navigating through this time isn’t always easy. Amidst the festivities, stress can sneak in, creating an overwhelming cloud over what should be a cheerful period.

In honor of When Difficult Relatives Happen To Good People, Leonard Felder – here’s a comprehensive guide filled with tips, experiences, and strategies!

Infuse Festive Cheer into Every Corner

Decorations can work wonders, lifting spirits and setting the holiday mood. Taking crisp outdoor walks bundled up, marveling at neighborhood lights, and indulging in homemade hot apple cider, can be simple yet powerful ways to celebrate.

Mindful Gift-Giving and Family Conversations

Planning gift-giving strategies with family members, whether through Secret Santa or charitable donations, alleviates financial and mental strain. This thoughtful approach ensures that the joy of giving isn’t overshadowed by stress.

Light Does Come Back After the Solstice on December 21st

A simple way to celebrate the natural seasonal change is to light a candle and take it into every corner of your home, welcoming the light back. This is one of my favorite personal traditions. It may seem like there’s a long dark winter left to struggle through after the holidays are over, but the truth is, the days are already getting longer. -Joanna

Prioritize Activities and Connection Over Material Things

Engaging in shared activities, planning family meals together, and fostering meaningful conversations can create lasting memories. – Annette

Coping Strategies and Self-Care Tips

Recognizing the importance of self-care and implementing strategies to counteract negative feelings is a crucial aspect of navigating the season.

Practical Tips for Holiday Preparedness

Stocking up on comforting foods and being mindful of store closures on holidays ensures that small details don’t diminish the festive spirit.

Finding Joy Amidst the Chaos

As the holiday whirlwind engulfs us, it’s essential to remember that amidst the chaos and expectations, our well-being is paramount. Prioritizing joy, connection, and self-care helps us navigate this season with grace.

Wishing you a season filled with warmth, joy, and moments that matter most. – Ash

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Mindfulness Tips During The Holidays

Jaclyn Baker
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Amidst the gatherings, gift shopping, and festivities, it’s easy to lose touch with ourselves and succumb to the stress that accompanies this time of year. However, integrating mindfulness into our holiday routine can be a game-changer, offering a pathway to inner calm and presence amid the hustle and bustle.

Here are three mindfulness tips to help you navigate the holidays. 

Cultivate Present-Moment Awareness

The essence of mindfulness lies in being fully present in the here and now. Amidst the holiday rush, our minds often wander between the past (remembering past celebrations) and the future (anticipating the upcoming events). Take a pause and ground yourself in the present moment. When we anchor ourselves in the present, we can appreciate the richness of the holiday experience without being consumed by stress or worry.

Practice Gratitude Daily

The holiday season is an opportune time to cultivate gratitude. Amidst the flurry of activities, take a few moments each day to reflect on what you’re grateful for. It could be the company of loved ones, a cozy moment by the fireplace, or the simple joys that often go unnoticed. 

Gratitude shifts our focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in our lives, fostering a sense of contentment and appreciation. Consider keeping a gratitude journal or simply take a few minutes each morning or evening to mentally list the things you’re thankful for.

Embrace Self-Compassion

Amidst the desire to create picture-perfect holiday moments, remember to extend kindness and compassion towards yourself. 

It’s okay if everything doesn’t go according to plan or if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Be gentle with yourself. Practice self-care by carving out time for activities that recharge you—whether it’s a quiet walk, meditation, or simply reading a book. 

Allow yourself to set realistic expectations and boundaries, saying no when needed, and prioritizing your well-being amidst the holiday rush.

By integrating these mindfulness practices into your daily routine, you can navigate the holiday season with a greater sense of calm and joy. Remember, mindfulness is not about escaping the holiday fervor but rather about embracing it with a sense of presence and appreciation.

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How To Handle Stress Around The Holidays

Jaclyn Baker
,

The holidays can bring feelings of stress and overwhelm to the surface. 

It’s no secret that the holidays are a busy time for many, especially when juggling holiday shopping, family plans, and personal feelings.

But to navigate through this season, you can remind yourself of what matters most. Here are some ways we can de-stress and slow down. 

Prioritize Your Needs

You may be rushing to complete a long list of things on our holiday to-do list. But the key to balancing your list and your well-being is to prioritize. 

If you feel too much is on your plate, you can cut down on tasks. You don’t have to put pressure on yourself if it takes away from your needs. 

It’s a good time to ask a loved one for help or adjust your expectations if you are doing too much. 

Share Tasks With Others

As much as you may want to plan and execute your ideas for the holidays, you don’t have to do it alone. 

Sharing in the load of the holiday errands can make it easier on you in the long run. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with loved ones and spend more time together. 

You can lean on those around you if you need help

Shift Perspective

It can help us think about what we have on stressful days leading up to the holidays. 

Practicing gratitude during the holidays can put things into perspective. 

It can be a grounding reminder for when you need it most. 

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Accepting Cancelled Holiday Gatherings

Jaclyn Baker
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Life is unpredictable, and there are so many events and situations we can’t control.

The good news is, we can control how we react to those events and how we look at them.

You Can’t Force Feelings

Even though we can try and change our mindset and attitude, we can’t actually prevent feelings or turn them off in the blink of an eye.

“You feel how you feel, and your feelings are real.” – Sven

It’s one thing to try to challenge negative emotions.

But it’s quite another to ignore them and pretend they don’t exist.

If you’ve been feeling sad or disappointed over not being able to spend the holidays with loved ones in person, that is completely okay. 

Never be ashamed of how you feel. We all experience negative emotions and it’s completely normal. 

Acceptance + Compassion

We get it. Accepting a negative event isn’t always easy, but it is possible.

Practicing self-compassion may not be able to eliminate pain, but it can build resilience and boost optimism.

Looking For The Silver Lining

Several studies show that it can be beneficial to look for silver linings during difficult situations. 

Here are a few silver linings of having small a Christmas this year…

1) You won’t have to spend hours on end cooking and cleaning.

2) You can spend quality one on one time with your immediate family. 

3) You can create new traditions.

Final Thoughts

As we stated earlier, there are plenty of things in life we can’t change. But we can change the stories we tell ourselves and look at things differently.

From our family to yours, we’d like to wish you all a very Happy Holidays!

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how to foster generosity this holiday season

Emphasize the giving, and the thanks will follow: how to foster generosity this holiday season

Ryan Scott
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For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time for family, reflection and giving thanks. However, emerging research suggests that the spirit of giving—helping others, being thoughtful, practicing generosity—can generate a sense of gratitude that spans beyond a single day of gratefulness. That’s because gratitude and generosity are part of a cycle that we may be able to harness in order to create a kinder, more generous society.

Here are three ways to help the generosity flow this holiday season and beyond:

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