Be Merry, Motherfucker! 4 Ways to Stay Sane This Holiday Season

’Tis the holiday season!
There are decorations, cookies, and hideous sweaters everywhere. There is no escaping it. It’s everywhere you look. Whether you love the season or not, it can be a stressful time! Between the politics of gift buying, family, party obligations, etc… a season that is commercialized as a heart warming time of connection and good cheer can quickly become exhausting and frustrating.

No one likes feeling like the grinch in the middle of a should-be time of merriment and junk!
So, we’ve complied some of our best tips for staying sane this holiday season and avoid a complete and utter meltdown.

#1) Don’t Overcommit

Overcommitting is really easy because there is so much going on! Everyone and their dog is throwing a party or gathering of some kind. Going to these events (or ESPECIALLY hosting them) can mean a lot of commitments including money, time, and labour. And your calendar can quickly become overwhelming which means you lose a lot of your precious sanity-saving personal time.

Learn to say no! You’re not obligated to accept every opportunity that comes your way. Declining to attend (or host or prepare) a holiday event doesn’t make you terrible person. Sometimes it’s necessary for you to take care of you. In fact, it’s probably wiser to stay home if attending means spending the entire time daydreaming about throat punching everyone around you! Respect yourself and your time. Don’t overcommit.

#2) Let It Be Imperfect

The holiday season can lose a lot of its magic as we get older and sometimes we end up trying to stuff the magic back in forcefully. We end up obsessing about the perfect gifts, decorations, food, cards, clothes, yada yada yada. But obsessing over perfection just leads to stress, which moves us farther away from magic and into the realm of annoying.

It’s, as usual, all about balance. The magic in a moment or a season can’t be forced. It usually comes when design meets spontaneity. So, if you catch yourself planning something so much that it becomes un-fun, take a step back. Breathe. And like my girl Elsa would say… “Let it go!”
Sorry, not sorry for the Frozen reference.

#3) Be Merry, Motherfucker!

There are amazing stimuli everywhere! Food, drink, music, lights, conversation and more. There are many things that are fucking delightful that have become so typical of the season that they are easy to take for granted. Don’t let them pass you by. Hear the music, taste the food, see the sights and so on. It sounds simple enough and yet it’s amazing how often we forget. Be present and enjoy!

#4) Take Time for Yourself

Intentionally carve out some time for yourself. Depending on how busy your season is, this might be a little extra tricky but there is always a way. If opportunities to do this are legitimately few and far between, then get resourceful. You could even just hang out in the bathroom for a couple extra minutes whenever you have to go. Seriously! With all the bakings and junk around, no one is going to ask any questions if you take a little more time in there. Just take that time to be alone, or take advantage of the mood enhancing properties of kitten photos!

If your calendar is more open, then plan yourself some designated relaxation time. Curl up with a book, or take a bath. Binge watch something on Netflix or learn morse code. Whatever floats your boat! It might even be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea. Or… if you wanna get fancy ’n’ shit, Chamomile Bourbon Tea!

Chamomile Bourbon Tea:
-1 chamomile tea bag
-Hot water
-1/2 (or full...) oz. bourbon
-Optional: honey, lemon and/or orange slice

And don’t forget about your practice!
Even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, keeping up with your yoga will be a huge sanity-saver this season. Do what you need to do in order to prioritize this! Lay out your mat the night before so it’s easier in the morning. Make a little extra space for your practice by moving some stuff around. Spend 5 less minutes on Facebook. Get some awesome instructional yoga videos to follow along with. Don’t make excuses.

If you’re looking for a little extra inspiration to keep up your practice this season, then I would now like to shamelessly plug our online videos and courses!

You can find out more --->HERE!<--- 

No matter what you celebrate, we at Rage Yoga wish you a freakin’ delightful (and sane) holiday season!