The holiday season is something we look forward to all year. The presents, the festive activities, the happy gatherings, the seasonal caroling, maybe even a little snow to witness on Christmas morning.
All of these things can bring joy and excitement to most people. But we should remember that mindfulness during this time of year can be a resource to keep on hand with a few handy tools in our mindfulness toolkit when all of these celebrations and winter fun is interrupted.
Sure, this time of year can be a lot of fun. But at times we can feel a little lonely, sad, or lost despite being surrounded by others and all of these celebrations of happiness around us.
With that in mind, I have put together a list of mindfulness tools to keep our chins up, our inner selves at ease, and our frustrations at bay.
We all need reminders once in a while, so this toolkit will be your checklist to keep a watchful eye on what you should be doing, not what you shouldn’t be.
Toolkit Item #1 – Cozy Up
It seems like a no brainer, but when we neglect keeping our physical bodies warm in colder months, we risk not being able to fight off illnesses. In fact, in an article by TrinityHealth.org, they explain how even the way you layer clothing (as well as what those layers are made of) can directly affect your health.)
The post goes on to clarify, “While there are many physical challenges in the winter to contend with, there are also behavioral health challenges as well. The days grow shorter, and the nights grow longer and then soon it’s dark arriving and leaving work. This can lead to a common issue known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.“
In an article from Health.com, Dr. David Holmes, M.D. also explains how thermoregulation (how our bodies maintain temperature) works and why some people are affected by cooler temperatures more than others.
Toolkit Item #2 – Enjoy Warm Foods and Beverages
By nature, we require overall warmth for our bodies. We are warm blooded mammals, therefore we don’t do so great at keeping cozy in cold weather. With that in mind, we have to take certain actions to make sure we do stay warm when the weather outside is frightful.
Digestion can also be enhanced by the temperature of the foods and beverages we ingest. Livestrong.com elaborates on the benefits of hot versus cold foods. “…the digestion of hot foods, such as baked fruit or vegetables, begins with cooking, when the food’s chemicals begin to be broken down before they enter the body.”
In general, we all know what it’s like to come in from a chilly day, walk into the kitchen and enjoy a hot simmering bowl of soup or a hot meal. It’s not only comforting and warming for our body, but also soothing to our soul.
Toolkit Item #3 – Stay Hydrated
You might be wondering what staying hydrated has to do with staying warm in the winter. But as Dr. Mullins from Parkview Health comments, it is just as important to hydrate in the colder parts of the year as it is in the warmer times.
She explains, “Every time you breathe, perspire, urinate or have a bowel movement, water is lost. For this reason, and proper body function, it’s imperative that your replenish your body’s water supply through the consumption of food and beverages containing adequate amounts of H2O.”
Getting your needed amount of water each day also helps with digestion and aids our organs and bodies to function properly. In turn, we just feel better after our bodies use that water to do what it has to do internally to help us stay healthy and feel great.
Toolkit Item #4 – Regular Movement
Physical activity is key to a healthy heart as well as keeping warm in cooler times of the year. WebMD.com expresses ways to keep your core temperature up and what occurs when you do that. These are some pretty no-fluff suggestions. And besides, exercise just feels good! So, get out there and enjoy it.
In the colder months, a good stride in our walk can get our body warmed up pretty quickly. Before we know it, the chill of the winter air we walk into outside with our exercise clothes and sneakers on doesn’t seem so chilly after a good 45-minute brisk walk.
Remember to keep that water bottle with you and hydrate before, during, and after your exercise sessions. Hydrate.com mentions reasons why you should do this. You don’t have to be running a marathon to understand these informative tips to stay hydrated when considering being active.
Toolkit Item #5 – Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known most commonly as a needed vitamin we get from sunlight. The truth is, however, that a lot of us don’t actually get enough of this needed nutrient. Known commonly as the “sunshine vitamin”, when UV rays from the sun come into contact with our skin, that triggers vitamin D integration.
Other sources of this needed vitamin include specific foods and beverages we ingest, and those with a lack of vitamin D can also be increased and maintained by a physician through monthly prescribed injections which keep the vitamin D levels in the body at an acceptable level.
Without proper vitamin D levels, we can experience an array of health issues as explained on ClevelandClinic.org website for children including, ” incorrect growth patterns due to bowed or bent bones, muscle weakness, bone pain, and deformities in the joints.” In adults, “fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, muscle aches or cramps, and mood changes like depression.”
Though we are always warned not to soak up too much sun in the warmer months when more of our skin is exposed, Vitamin D is a required source of needed sustenance our bodies cannot function properly without. UCLAhealth.org suggests the proper amount of needed sunshine each day to obtain an appropriate level of Vitamin D in an informative article by Dr. Robert D. Ashley, MD, which goes further into the details of why this is so important.
Toolkit Item #6 – Keep a Cozy Home Environment
It goes without elaborating too much that keeping your home warm and cozy can add a lot to your overall health, both physically and mentally. In an article I posted recently, I offer “13 Mindful Tips to Create a Cozy Winter Ambiance at Home” for ideas to guide you to make your home a sanctuary that you enjoy throughout the winter months.
It is also a compelling feeling when we anticipate arriving home after a long day or from a trip we were on knowing that we are about to enter into a warm and cozy abode that is inviting and welcomes us home with open arms.
Toolkit Item #7 – Connect with Loved Ones
Going it alone during the colder times of year (and around the holidays, especially) can enhance the chances of feeling down, depressed, or under the weather. It’s part of that Seasonal Affective Disorder mentioned earlier. It’s a real thing. And it feels just like how it sounds.
When out with others, you can almost feel the energy in the room resonating from the conversation and activity happening around you and within the relationships you have with the people you spend time with. I know for a fact this is helpful anytime of the year. I make a point to step away from my work for an afternoon (or an entire day!) to visit with friends.
Doing this heightens your positive emotions, enhances your feeling of importance, and help to remind you just how lucky you are to have these sorts of relationships in your life.
Toolkit Item #8 – Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the key to staying centered in the present moment. With mindfulness, we can reignite that special something inside of our souls that appreciates the golden hardwood leaves in the fall, the song of the whippoorwill in the distance on early spring mornings, and the enjoyable feelings of being connected to a universal force much greater than ourselves.
In an earlier article, I explain ways to bring more mindfulness into your life with my blog post titled, “7 Ways to Control Your Hamster Wheel With Mindfulness.” If you haven’t learned what mindfulness is, or if you’re looking to get more of it into your daily life, take a look at that article for several ideas for becoming more mindful.
Toolkit Item #9 – Connect with Nature
Connecting with nature is actually one of those mindfulness suggestions I resonate with. Just inhaling the fresh morning air, seeing the dew drops on plant leaves and flower petals, and watching the world wakeup with its beautiful sunrise can stimulate a sense of appreciation and peace in our souls.
It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated at all. Take a walk in the woods or in a park with awareness and gratitude for all that nature provides us. A stroll down the street in your neighborhood or a jaunt to the beach for a walk along the shore can both be revitalizing and connective to nature as well.
Decide on a space outside that you enjoy exploring. Take a walk on a forest trail or in the park to admiring leaves and flowers. Try a local farm where you can observe butterflies and ladybugs. Visit the beach to take in the sounds and sights of seagulls and seashells. There is an endless array of outdoor areas for your experience. Give it some thought, then see what you want to do the most. That’s where your soul calls you to connect to nature!
Toolkit Item #10 – Stay in Touch with Your Support Network
Having a supportive “team” on your side is never a bad idea. It doesn’t matter if it’s the holidays or just an ordinary Tuesday. When we crave that confirmation of self, that understanding of problems or our thoughts, or just need someone to non-judgmentally listen to us, a support group is a terrific place to get all of these things.
Traditional talk therapy has seemed to come to the forefront in the last several years. Especially since the Covid pandemic when we were all locked in our homes sheltering in place. This is making it much easier for us to communicate with someone who can listen much more accessible than in years before.
Whether visiting a paid professional at their office, subscribing to an online resource, or meeting with a group of others in your community once a week to share and listen and embrace each other, a great support source is vital to our emotional health, self-care, and well-being.
Toolkit #Item 11 – Check Your Social Calendar
Sometimes it’s not easy on a cold wintery day to get out of bed and get bundled up to meet with friends or family for a few hours. But it is so important to do this, even if just once a week. The idea is to get out and do things, not just stay stuck indoors.
I have found that getting out and taking part in some sort of activity, preferably a social one, is such a feel-good experience. You’re out of the house, allowing yourself some time to enjoy life, and you’re making a space in your week to have some fun in a social environment.
It doesn’t matter if it’s meeting friends for a long leisurely lunch, visiting the local bookstore to peruse the newest issues of gardening magazines or have that latte you’ve been wanting for a while, or volunteering with your community to revitalize the plantings around town. What matters is that you get out and do something!
Toolkit Item #12 – Let There be Light
We use it to fill our homes with rays of sunshine through windows, to see when we’re driving somewhere (and many other things!), and for warmth and a little color on the beach in the summer. But surrounding ourselves with light has more benefits than only these.
From getting needed vitamin D from ultraviolet (UV) light in safe doses, aiding us in developing a sound sleeping cycle, and helping us to just feel good on a sun-filled day with blue skies, light in all its types is needed for sustaining life in general.
You know that feeling when it rains for days? The sky is overcast. It just feels “ugh.” Then the following day, the skies clear overnight and the sun in all its glory returns shining its beautiful light and warmth on our world, and we feel…a lot better! That’s the feeling I enjoy most about light. So, fill your home with light, and don’t get lost in the darkness.
Toolkit Item #13 – Don’t Keep to Yourself
As humans, we tend to sometimes keep more things to ourselves than we need to. Of course, I say this on a per-situation basis, but my point is that talking and sharing with others we trust and appreciate helps to do a lot of things.
For one, it aids in the communication and sharing process. If we never told anyone anything about us, we would all be a socially silent world. Can you imagine going to a sports game, everyone sitting in their favorite team colors, no talking at all? No noise? No cheering our favorite players on? Okay, I know that’s a bit of an extreme example but think about it. We all become friends by first sharing with another human being.
There is also getting things off our chest when needed, finding common interests with others, making plans, memorable conversations. The list goes on and on.
Toolkit Item #14 – Play with Your Pets
Our pets bring us some of the most loved, happy times we can imagine. Even other people’s pets can do that when we see them on a walk in our community or at our local park or dog events areas. This is another way to get out and do something instead of staying indoors in the cooler weather.
Not only does it get us outside, but it gets us exercise for ourselves and our furry friends. They need movement just as much as we do, so get out there, bring the frisbee, and have an afternoon filled with furry love and activity!
Toolkit Item #15 – Watch Happy Holiday Shows
Enjoying great holiday movies are a long-lived tradition for lots of people. Just remember that the type of movies you indulge in can also remind you of some things that aren’t necessarily uplifting, especially if we’re alone at home.
We can combat this feeling by monitoring what types of movies we allow ourselves to escape with. Happier movies and comedies will definitely make us enjoy the season a lot easier. Besides, laughter is the best medicine, isn’t it?
Go for holiday comedies, silly titles, and shows with hope and happiness in the script. These films not only motivate us and fill our hearts with joy and hope for a new upcoming year ahead, but they also encourage laughter, which is a healthy reaction and again, makes us feel that happy thrill run through us.
Toolkit Item #16 – Random Acts of Kindness
It only takes a minute to share a random act of kindness with someone. You know from reading my monthly newsletter that I am an avid believer in this practice and I truly enjoy it and benefit greatly from it.
You can bake a batch of cookies or another treat for a neighbor, purchase a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, or even bring a neighbor’s newspaper in from the end of the driveway or roll their garbage can in close to the house so they don’t have to do it later in the day. Little things that spread generosity and kindness really make a huge difference to others.
This isn’t a difficult act to get into a habit of doing. I believe if everybody did this on a daily basis our great country wouldn’t be in such peril and misery as it seems it is these days. Instead of war and fighting, we would have more human kindness and generosity toward our fellow man.
Start putting this suggestion into practice today, and you will start to see things change around you. People will appreciate you more, you will feel good for doing these small gestures, and you will feel more grateful in the process. The results of your effort will make that person’s day and in turn make you feel more grateful.
Toolkit Item #17 – Buy Yourself Flowers
Like the Miley Cyrus hit song says, you don’t have to wait for somebody else to buy you flowers. You can do it yourself. And why not? Aren’t you worthy? Of course you are!
Treating ourselves to special items such as fresh flowers remind us of if our own importance. An act of kindness to ourselves lets us appreciate our unique qualities, inner strengths, and kind demeanor.
Random acts of kindness toward others are generous to do for others. However, we cannot forget about ourselves. Adorn your space with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and feel the appreciation and love you might not always allow yourself to experience.
Toolkit Item # 18 – Keep Things Tidy
Keeping clutter and mess out of sight is another of my favorites! When a space is unorganized or messy, I can’t focus on anything. But when things are tidy and put away and uncluttered, I can think more clearly.
Having organizational items to help you stay clutter-free can help with keeping the mess at bay and your space more relaxing and welcoming. However, it is important to not go overboard with the organizational products.
RealSimple.com offers a terrific article for “16 Steps to Finally Declutter Your Home Once and for All.” In the post, this wonderfully practical and resourceful company suggests tips such as deciding why you’re decluttering, picking a specific number of things to do each day, and even making the experience fun to do. Take a look and pick a few of your favorites (or all of them!) to clear your space and keep your home looking tidy and organized.
Toolkit Item #19 – Sing Along to Holiday Songs
Not many people who know me don’t know that I am an avid car singer when driving around in my vehicle. A song will come on and I get fully in the sing-along mode, belting out favorites from pop hits, to jazz chart-toppers, to favorites from musicals.
Have you ever been driving and seen someone next to you singing away in their vehicle? (More than likely it was me!) Worried about what other drivers will think if they see you singing away in your car? Stop doing that! Have fun while paying attention to the road at the same time, and enjoy the fun of belting out a few melodies!
Toolkit Item #20 – Take a Mini Vacation
We all need to get away from everything for a while on occasion. Even if it’s just for a weekend. Taking that much needed few days to renew yourself, get away from the office, and have fun in your life can benefit your mental and emotional well-being as well as allow your body and mind to reset in a healthy way.
Depriving yourself of this simple pleasure and not giving it proper attention can lead to something called the “vacation fade-out effect.” Explained on the PsychologyToday.com website, by Jamie Gruman, Ph.D., this happens when “the health and well-being benefits of vacations tend to last only temporarily.” The article goes on to express the importance of mini vacations each month versus annually longer trips.
Toolkit Item #21 – Nourish Your Body
This one goes without saying really, but the fact that nourishing our bodies with the needed balance of vitamins and minerals through what we eat and drink is an important part of a healthy and happy lifestyle. Around the holiday seasons, it can be hard to ignore the variety of indulgent treats we don’t usually put on our plate on a typical day, but if we remember to moderate what we eat, that can be avoided.
One way to do this would be to be mindful of what you’re putting on your holiday plate and asking yourself why you put it on there. Is it supplying you with an indulgence you don’t normally have other than this time of year? Do you feel like eating this item will satisfy you? Are you eating it because maybe it’s padding an underlying emotion or feelings of loneliness around the holidays?
Try asking yourself these questions and see if you make the decision to maybe just put half of the amount of that food item on your dinner plate. This can create a healthier eating pattern that doesn’t stick to your normal eating cycle.
Toolkit Item #22 – Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is something a lot of us don’t get enough of. Between work, kids, errands, managing a household and keeping up with schedules and meetings, not to mention momentary sanity checks here and there, it’s no wonder how any of us get any sleep at all other than nodding off at our desk or unintentionally falling asleep on the sofa during movie night.
As interpreted by American Psychological Association on their post about “Why Sleep is Important,” the article illustrates the reasons why sleep is so important, reviews signs of excessive sleepiness, how much sleep we truly need, and other eye-opening data including how we can get a better night’s sleep.
Toolkit Item #23 – Get a Massage
There’s just something about booking that massage once a month (or more!) for better circulation, enhanced relaxation, and stress alleviation. Our muscles, joints, and mind will thank us for doing that as part of a mindful self-care routine.
A lot of people seem to believe that massages are just something else to spend money on with no real benefits. But as reported by Mayo Clinic in their piece on “Benefits of Massage Therapy,” a thorough explanation of what some think is just a pampering session actually has beneficial therapeutic effects both in the short term and long term.
Just a few of the conditions massage therapy can help include anxiety, depression, insomnia, nerve pain, and sports injuries. Pampering ourselves is something we all deserve, but realizing the true health benefits of massage for therapeutic reasons can open our eyes to the truly needed effects of making this a part of a regular routine.
And We Close the Toolkit
And there are your 23 mindful tools for inner warmth and improved well-being to carry into 2025. I hope you use some of them, or all of them, in your self-care toolkit to help ease your journey through the wintery season and into a warmer, beautiful spring season in a few months.
With mindfulness, we can become better handlers of our own feelings, emotions, and personal well-being. We can enhance ourselves and our purpose in life. And we can continue our forward motion of a healthier, more optimistic, and more satisfied lifestyle.
MY MINDFUL REQUST
My mindful request for this final post of 2024 is for you to remember how important you are in this life. The people around you are proof of that, so honor yourself going into the new year knowing that you are important and loved.
I wish you and yours a healthy, safe, and very Happy New Year for 2025! See you next year with more informative, educational, and enjoyable articles to keep you mindful and continuing on your self-care journey!