How to Prepare Your Spirits for the Holidays Right after Halloween,
The stores and commercials on TV remind us that the holidays are just around the corner.
The variations have stayed in the back of our minds,
Reminding us to prepare for Thanksgiving,
Hanukkah,
Christmas,
Kwanzaa,
And New Year's Eve.
In other words,
To shop,
Get together,
Eat,
And be merry.
Looking for that perfect gift for a loved one in different stores,
Attending holiday parties,
Visiting our elders,
And traveling place many of us on the fence.
As we approach the holidays,
The feeling of uneasy footing may surface because we may believe we could be overcompromising our traditions and moments of joy.
I have nine suggestions to transform and uplift your holiday season and improve the overall quality of our lives.
My name is Ana Barreto.
I'm an author,
Teacher,
Coach,
And a holiday devotee.
I begin to decorate my home for the holidays the day after Thanksgiving,
And I love to find ways to delight my family and friends around the holidays.
Instead of worrying about what could happen,
I decided to use my gifts to help people navigate the holidays with their spirit in mind.
Here are my suggestions.
Number one.
Adjust your expectations.
Yes,
Adjust your expectations.
People get disappointed because they have high expectations and not enough strategies to bounce back.
Yes,
The supermarkets may not have all the things they had last year.
Our loved ones will decide to stay home.
You may not find that special gift.
However,
I don't believe in expecting less,
But expecting the best.
We may not know what is best for everyone,
But trust that the universe does.
Be okay with what happens.
And as unexpected events occur,
Just say to yourself,
It's all good.
It's all good.
Many women who used to be stressed from mid-November to January 2nd will get a break just by expecting the best and more meaningful times.
Number two.
Be prepared to give more.
We are called to give more than we have done in the past.
I don't mean the regular donations you do at the church or the change that you give to the pen handler in the corner.
I mean,
Call your local women's shelters or the church and sponsor a family for the holidays.
It's not going to cost that much.
Make the entire thing happen.
The turkey,
The Christmas tree,
The children's list,
The rent,
And everything else that they need for the holidays.
If you have it,
Give more.
This could be the best holiday season you had in many years.
After all,
This is the real meaning of the holidays.
Number three.
Be willing to ask with humility.
I remember a year growing up in Brazil where we didn't have the typical Christmas with gifts and plenty of food.
My family had a lot of shame around it.
We didn't tell anyone.
We went to church for the midnight mass and then home.
Instead of waking up at 5 a.
M.
To open presents on Christmas morning,
We slept in and we didn't go out to share with our friends that we didn't get anything that year because my dad had no money.
If this year things are tough for you,
Reach out to your community.
I beg you.
There are so many good people out there willing and waiting to help anyone without any judgment,
So please reach out.
Number four.
Begin to value experiences versus things.
Another way to prepare your spirit for the holidays is by having experiences instead of material things.
Research have shown that experiences have increased value over material things.
People are happy longer before and after by having experiences such as vacations,
A visit to the spa or a museum,
Instead of getting a sweater or a bracelet.
The research showed that we get happy when we get the bracelet or the sweater,
But happiness immediately begins to decline while the experiences last for years.
A bigger why is that happiness is the emotion of the spirit.
You got to feed your spirit often.
Number five.
Respect people's choices.
Allow people to do what they want to do without any guilt or shaming them.
This means that they will not come over for the holidays and their celebrations will be smaller but not less festive.
And it's okay.
If it's you who don't want to go home for the holidays,
It's okay.
Honor where you are.
You can just have a conversation and the touch of how they react.
This is not your business.
This is not your monkey.
This is not your circles.
It will be important to support the decisions without the sad face or guilty comments.
Number six.
Include those who cannot be together.
A good way to include people who can't attend your holiday get-together is by creating a space on the table for them with their picture and a placement.
The intention is the one that counts.
Once they know that you really would value their presence on the table,
Your hearts will connect.
That's the meaning of the holiday.
Remember,
You can always do live video chats.
Number seven.
Find a daily spiritual practice.
One of the complaints people have about the holidays is that it has been so commercialized.
Anyone can make the holidays mindful again by having a spiritual practice.
You can meditate daily,
Start a gratitude journal for the month of December,
Have prayers,
And other things.
What other people do with their holidays is their business.
Focus on yours and do what your heart desires.
Number eight.
Share your talents.
Baking can be a spiritual practice.
Yes,
It's not a joke.
Drawing holiday cards can be one too.
And so is painting,
Making bracelets,
Building wreaths,
And other things.
Your talents can be put to use in making this holiday season a meaningful one for your spirit.
Find your inspiration,
Get children involved,
And share your gifts with others.
It only takes imagination and a desire to do it.
Number nine.
Accept the invitation to live more deeply.
The holidays called us to ourselves,
Career,
Family,
Health that you may have been ignoring for a while.
The holidays,
We are called to stop and transform our lives.
The holidays is just an opportunity.
Answer the call.
You can't control holiday season,
But you can control how you respond to it.
These nine suggestions will uplift your spirit.
I know it.
You can be grateful,
Caring,
And connected,
And at the same time depressed.
So feed your spirit this holiday season.
I wish you a warm holiday.
May your spirit be uplifted today and always.
This is Ana Barreto signing off.
