Merry Meditations: How to Zen Out in Holiday Chaos

It’s common to feel a bit frazzled with all the razzle-dazzle we feel like we need to keep up with during the holidays. From shopping, decorating, wrapping, baking, hosting, party hopping, and family time, it can all be a bit much.

We often end up hanging out with a different group on the holidays too which means the potential clashing of viewpoints on topics such as religion, politics, and even dietary preferences. We want to equip you with ways to get through the holidays that don’t require so much stress and can help you avoid emotional heaviness that many just put up with at this time of year.

We have some simple holiday meditation techniques to get you through but also to help you enjoy this time. Meditation is simply giving noticing the mind and if you choose to, giving it a direction. It’s not difficult and can keep a very active mind from looking for all the problems or potential problems that could make you feel like hiding under the Christmas tree skirt.

Meditations for the Holiday Season

Try these simple techniques and you’ll see that you really can enjoy the holiday season like a jolly zen master.

1. Deep Breathing for Shopping Stress

When you’re looking for parking at the mall, standing in endless checkout lines, or just not sure what to buy for someone, use this simple breathing technique to find your sense of peace.

Take a slow breath in your nose thinking, “I am jolly and calm.” Then breathe out through your nose thinking, “I exude holiday cheer.” Do this three times in a row and it will help calm your body. This little ritual will at least put a smile on your face because you may find it to be funny how our buttons get pushed by little things.

2. Hold an Intention During Tense Conversations

Whether it’s who gets to put the star on the tree, or typical family drama, you can use this simple technique to keep yourself from engaging in negativity. Notice your feet on the ground. This will help ground you and get you out of your head where there can be a lot of ‘poppycock’ from the ego. When people are getting defensive, heated, or letting their emotions take over, just simply focus on visualizing energy connecting you to the center of the earth at your feet.

3. Stay Positive When Everyone’s Melting Down

The holidays can bring both highs and lows as we are out of our routine and unexpected things can happen. Whether it’s meeting the in-laws, getting stuck at the airport, or having your stomach not agree with eggnog, we can be the calm within the storm with this simple technique.

Take a moment to breathe. Visualize the energy around you as calm and as you breathe visualize that energy spreading to the people around you. This is a subtle way to help spread zen vibes and shift your own focus to something positive.

4. Get in Touch with What You Want

Sometimes holiday traditions can add stress to our lives for one reason or another. If you are feeling off, it may be because you’re going along with things you don’t actually want to be doing.

Finding healthy boundaries for yourself, whether that’s going to bed a little earlier, saying no to your Aunt’s pecan pie, or not overspending on gifts, will help you manage your stress and keep yourself feeling the good vibrations that come from celebrating our friendships and the many blessings in our lives.

5. Check-in with What Your Body Needs

Just because other people are acting like their body is made of steel and consuming lots of sugar or unhealthy foods doesn’t mean you have to. For the holidays, spend a moment each time to take a bathroom break (nature’s calling) to see what else your body is asking for. Simply check-in with how you’re feeling and see if your body is asking for nutrients, water, sleep, or something else. This intuitive check-in will probably be the most valuable thing you could do for your overall sense of peace.

Also, never underestimate the power of a good bubble bath or walk in nature to soothe the nerves. It’s a great idea to take time for yourself just as a race car driver has to stop to change their wheels. If you can stop by the juice bar, bake healthy treats, and keep yourself hydrated, you’ll find you reach the new year feeling bubbly instead of bluesy energetically.

Read this next: How To Avoid Overeating This Holiday Season

Closing

The more you prioritize time to stay in touch with your spiritual self during the holidays, the quieter the unwanted stress-inducing noise of the festivities will become. You’ll be able to hear the good while not letting the grumps get the best of you. It can be fun to sneak away for a quick meditation or breathing exercise to stay connected to your soul and not get lost in the proverbial snowstorm.

If you’re traveling over the holidays, bring a journal that you can vent and stay inspired with in your downtime. Staying spiritually connected during the holidays will help you see things in a new way. It will help you see the love that is within each of us easier. When you start your day by setting a loving intention and directing your own energy, you’ll find that your experience will be merrier and your holidays will be much more magical.

Related Article: Simply Perfect: Celebrating The Holidays with Minimalism