For the month of December, I’m going to have an overall theme of JOY in each of my blogs! Starting with how to find even more in this already joyful month of the year.

I’m not sure about you, but this past year has had a major recurring theme in my life and that is slowing down. Not necessarily in the form of rest and sleep (though I’m not complaining about that side effect!) but more in the way of being present and in the moment. Has that been a lesson for you this year too?

Even in the times when we were fortunate enough to do a little travelling this summer, I still felt a stronger urge to just embrace the current moment and be grateful for everything that we have, especially during the strangest and most uncertain times. Making myself acknowledge what is good was a major factor in my ability to find happiness in the wildest of days.

This year I wanted to write this post to not only hopefully inspire you reading this, but myself too, to slow down and fully embrace this Christmas season. It’s my absolute favorite time of year, of course I want to embrace it as much as possible!

What will you get from slowing down this holiday season?

Things just seem to be a whole lot sweeter when we stop and revel in them. When was the last time you sat and watched the sunset for it’s entirety? It’s as if the longer you stop and look at it, the more beautiful it gets. I really love reading philosophical/inspirational type books in the morning to get my mind right at the start of my day and nearly every single one I’ve read mentions the importance of enjoying the present and teaches when you do so, it makes even the littlest moments that much sweeter. They also teach that in times of negativity, doubt, fear, or stress, coming back to the basics of just being with yourself in the present moment help you turn over those fears or negative feelings to a higher power, and open up your heart and mind to be able to deal with them more level headedly. (P.S., is headedly a word? I’m not getting a red squiggly line so we’re going with it.).

The Holiday Season brings so much happiness to our lives, I know I want to do what I can to make it as special as can be! Sometimes it can be overwhelming, maybe a little bit stressful, and this year it might be a bit lonely. So I thought a few tips to find presence and stillness might be helpful for all of us! After 4 months inside our home, to 3 months of “panic travel” to another few months in lockdown, I wanted to share a few ways I’ve learned how to slow down and enjoy the present this year in hopes that it might help you find even more joy, love, and gratitude this holiday season! I’m also going to bring in some of the concepts from books I’ve read in the past.

What you can do to slow down, and get more our of your holiday season:

Begin your day on the right foot. A solid morning routine with an aspect of getting your mind right is number one in my opinion. Whether its meditation, a long walk, an inspirational podcast, journaling, yoga, or whatever you choose, pick a method and stick to it. I love reading and journaling start the day on a positive and inspired note.
Eat without distraction. I know, with this one you’re like “excuse me, Di? You home in there? This one is weird.” And I get that! But think about it, when is the last time you ate a meal without the TV on, without your phone, without going over the stresses or excitements of your day? Here in Italy they teach their children how to mindfully eat in school. They teach them to think about who made their food, from the farmers, to the animals, etc. Fully immerse yourself in your food. Who sent you this recipe? Who made this food for you? If it was you, maybe acknowledge how happy cooking makes you feel, or how proud of yourself you are for making something healthy. This practice of being present during meal times will help you be present in every day life too. I think this is especially fun during Christmas Eve dinners, or making cookies. Think about how many fun memories are connected to these!
Go for a walk once per day. This isn’t a ground breaking tip, but if you’re like me it’s really easy to get caught up in your own head, going over your to-dos, worrying about something you said 2 weeks ago, whatever it may be. Going for a walk, even just 10 minutes, and getting away from the busyness of it all can be therapeutic.
Have a morning and afternoon reminder. I learned this one from Brendan Bourchard in his book High Performance Habits. He has reminders that go off on his phone throughout the day reminding him to take a deep breath, step back, and be fully engaged in whatever he is doing at that moment. Does anyone else feel like the happiest of moments just fly by? I think this is a great tip to help from feeling like our happiest moments are over in the blink of an eye.
Make somebody else smile. Smiles are truly contagious. I want to take a dose of my own advice with this one (that phrase made no sense but you catch my drift). You never know what other people are going through, the smile you put on their face might completely change their day around. Give a stranger a compliment, pay for their strarbucks, or even just a friendly smile can go a long way.
Have a running gratitude list or “bliss list”. I seriously love this one. Keeping a running list of moments that made you happy, activities, movies, things, drinks, people, whatever it may be is such a fun way to keep memories. It’s also really fun to look back on!