The holiday season. It is supposed to feel good isn’t it? Be merry? Even cheerful? And, while there are moments where it can be all of this, we often find that the stresses of the holiday season can overshadow the goodness that we seek.
While there are many blogs on the ‘how to’s’ of holiday season – with everything from ‘finding peace’, ‘surviving a family event’, and even ‘how to wrap the perfect present’, they never quite hit the mark.
There isn’t a lot of room in manufactured holiday magic for what matters most – our relationship with ourselves and carving time for what matters most….
Clearing space for our own need for rest.
Balancing priorities, budgets and holiday events.
Hearing our own quiet voice that whispers “I’d rather stay home.”.
What would it feel like to have a little more of what you really want this holiday season?
In these busy times it can feel like spaces of stillness are difficult to find – our innate inner wisdom eludes us as we step into old patterns of being in our family systems, and many of us can experience a sense of quiet grief as the passing of time reminds us of those who have gone before us.
How do we even know what we want or need in a world when Christmas music is blaring at us in the produce aisle of the grocery store?
At times we try to brush these feelings away in order to fulfil the many overwhelming roles we try to juggle.
But, something feels off and we wish it was different, but how do we get from here to there?
I encourage you to carve out small pockets of time for yourself in your day.
It sounds too easy and simple, and how could it possibly help you ask? I get it. I often forget what magic there is in small moments, and I forget the carve them out. All of sudden I realize I am racing on the hamster wheel of life. And, then I stop,…. even for three minutes to watch the sun go down. A sigh of relief. A moment of freedom. It is the layering of multiple times like these in our days when the real magic happens.
Carving out small moments of stillness can look like….
Making time to step out into the mystery of early morning for three minutes before heading to work.
Slowing down to curl up with a warm cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate – even ten minutes – challenging yourself to leave your phone out of reach and instead ‘just be’ with the warmth of the cup and maybe a blanket snuggly wrapped around you.
Taking time to doodle a little drawing of a bird on the side of a note pad – even a minute or two.
Creating time to sit and play with an animal companion on the rug for five minutes.
Finding the time to reflect at the end of the day on the moments that mattered most. I use the free app ‘Delightful: Gratitude Journal’ for this purpose www.delightfuljournal.com as well as ‘The 5 Minute Journal’ which is a lovely journal to write it. And, wonderful gift idea too.
These small carved out spaces in time do more than we know. Of course, science tells us they are good for us and our mental, emotional and physical health, They tell us how they benefit ‘mental and emotional processing’ and so on. I would say there is evn more to this that what science knows how to speak to. Something magic happens when we create space.
The collection of such moments help us touch something deeper.
They create a clearer channel between our inner knowing and our lived experience.
They leave space for something new to organically find its way into the every day.
They help us ‘know’ what step to take next.
And, somehow they move us toward more of what really matters – even when we can’t find the words.
I wish you the blessing of space this holiday season. I wish you the courage to create it. To try it out. To sit by the fire. To close your eyes and allow what matters most to find you. And, most importantly, to value and make time for connection with yourself. You deserve every moment you can carve out for yourself to spend time in silence. To walk in nature. To sing your favourite song a little too loudly in the car. And, to sit and dream. You are worth event moment. In moments of connection with ourselves, we set ourselves free. Free to be.
Looking for a springboard? This holiday season I am once again offering ‘Space to be’ coaching sessions. Time for you to explore and expand into what you need this holiday season. Time to hear your quiet voice and listen with curiosity. Giving yourself permission to create more space for yourself. Sessions are 30 minutes in length at a cost of $25 US. Whether you find you require one session to help you find that next small step toward freedom, or additional sessions for further exploration and support, you deserve to find what sets you free. Email me at janspragge@gmail.com to find out more and coordinate our calendars. I look forward to hearing from you.
