Make Your Holidays Merrier With These Five Rituals

Holidays can be stressful, but rituals help you take back control

When your mind is filled with endless to-do lists and family drama, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the demands of the season. But by creating a few simple rituals for yourself, you can make sure that at least some moments are spent in calm and peaceful reflection—and maybe even with a little spiritual discipline thrown in there too. Rituals don't have to be complicated: They're simply repeated actions that help you focus on what's important.

They also help relax the body and mind so that we can approach our everyday lives with more ease and clarity. For example, if after work each day you turn off all electronics for 30 minutes to read something inspiring or meditate before starting dinner prep (or both), you'll notice how much lighter your thoughts feel when it's time to eat!

It is important to focus on what is important to you. For example, if you enjoy spending time with your family, make it easy for them to spend time with you. Do this by making sure the holidays are merrier by focusing on what is important to you in your life.

The following five rituals can help you make your holidays merrier:

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Make it a holiday ritual to try a new recipe

Cooking is considered to be one of the most relaxing activities and a great way to spend time with family. Cooking allows you to create something from scratch and make it healthier than what you would buy in the store. It helps you get creative, gives you an outlet for your emotions, as well as provides a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Check out some of my recipes in the Plant-based, Gluten-free Biohacking Cookbook

Stay present. Try staying focused on what's happening in front of you rather than letting your mind wander elsewhere. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths while focusing on your breathing rather than what's going on in your mind. This will help reduce stress levels and prevent negative thoughts from taking over your mind.

WHAT RITUALS ARE YOU CREATING FOR A MERRIER HOLIDAY SEASON?

Create a ritual of writing letters to friends

You're probably familiar with the custom of writing letters to people you care about. It's a great way to stay in touch, and it can remind you of the connections we have with our loved ones. If it's been a while since you've written a letter, try picking up the old-school pen and paper again this holiday season—you might be surprised at how much joy writing can bring!

Here are three types of letters worth writing:

A letter to someone who inspires you. It doesn't matter if they're famous or not; anyone who has done something that inspires you deserves recognition for their efforts.
A letter to your family members. Make sure they know how important they are to you this holiday season!
A letter to someone whose work has made an impact on your life (or vice versa). This could be anything from an author whose books changed your perspective on life through reading them all through college years later, or perhaps a friend who introduced another person's artwork into your life during high school art class—or even just someone who shared her recipes with us during Thanksgiving dinner last year!

Don't forget everyone else out there doing good things too :) Your words will mean so much more when shared publicly through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram if possible!

Put a ritual in place to spend some quality time outside

When it gets cold outside, we tend to stay in and hibernate, but you can benenfit from moving your body and getting outside. There are so many ways to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors during the holidays. Here's a few ideas:

Go for a walk around your neighborhood, or visit one of your local parks.
Take a hike in the nearby mountains or forests. If you don't have that option, find a trail around town with some elevation change (like stairs) and go up and down it repeatedly.
Do something active with your family or friends like paintballing, rollerblading, slacklining, playing on playgrounds in parks (for younger children), canoeing/kayaking/rafting/tubing down rivers at parks (for older kids), rock climbing at indoor gyms (for teens), bocce ball tournaments on beaches (for adults).

If you want to learn more about the science behind movement and add the ritual of forest bathing to your next holiday tradition, check out chapter 5 in my book, The Anatomy of Wellbeing, now available on Amazon.

Put away your phone as part of your daily ritual

Don't miss out on your family by not being present. When we're with our family, it's easy to get lost in our phones. But if you can find a way to be present for your kids and partner, then you'll be able to enjoy the time together.

You should try not to worry about the past or future during this time: focus on what is happening right now. If there are people around you who aren't familiar with mindfulness or meditation, don't expect them to understand why it matters for them too! It's best just to explain that being mindful helps us feel less stressed out and enjoy life more—and then leave it at that.

Create a ritual that prioritizes what you value

Put your focus on what matters most to you. As the holidays approach, it's easy to let stress get the best of us. After all, there are parties and family obligations and shopping to be done—and that's just for Christmas! But it doesn't have to be so taxing if we remember the reason for the season: love and friendship. If your uncle makes a big deal about his annual "holiday" party every year, then don't worry about it—just go because he loves having people in his home and lighting candles together. Don't let other people's expectations get to you; focus on what makes you happy instead.

Likewise with your own expectations—don't expect too much from yourself (or others) during this time of year; just relax as best as possible while also fitting in some good ol' holiday fun where appropriate! And finally, don't let self-criticism get under your skin either: after all, at least we're not one of those guys who never turn their phones off.

Take time to enjoy the season and don’t forget these final tipS

Don’t stress about the holidays.
Take some time off from work if possible so that you can relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about deadlines or emails piling up on your desk.
If you can't take time off from work, try not to go overboard with holiday obligations (more on this below).
Don't overspend on gifts for other people just because retailers tell us we should; instead focus on giving experiences rather than things like iPhones or expensive jewelry.
Being thoughtful about what gifts are heartfelt will be much more meaningful than buying something expensive just because it's expected of us at this time of year.
I love giving out small potted plants or special spice mixes throughout December as part of my holiday traditions—it's such a simple way to bring life into someone's home!

Rituals can make the holidays a more enjoyable time of year

The holidays are a time to celebrate and enjoy with family and friends. But it’s also easy to get caught up in the hustle of gift-finding, entertaining, traveling, cooking and cleaning—and forget the true meaning of this joyous season.

With the right kind of preparation and planning, you can make sure your holiday season is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

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