3 Foolproof Ways To Protect Your Peace This Season
'Tis the season of love, joy, reflection and newly reintroduced – gathering.
These are the feelings and ways of being that are marketed to us and pushed to the forefront of this season. However, it is good to remember that for some, this season might bring feelings of loneliness, fear, disappointment and more.
The statistics don’t lie. According to surveys done by the National Alliance on Mental Illness…
Approximately 24% of people with a diagnosed mental illness find that the holidays make their condition “a lot” worse and 40% “somewhat” worse
Approximately 755 of the overall respondents reported that the holidays contribute to feelings of sadness and dissatisfaction
66% of participants experienced loneliness, 63% felt an overwhelming sense of pressure, and 55% found themselves remembering happier times in the past contrasting with the present
50% of respondents were unable to be with their loved ones
With these pieces of information in mind, we want to remind you that not only does mindfulness help us in supporting the “self”, but it also allows us to hold space for the “other” by way of holding space for ourselves and our wellness.
The saying goes, “you cannot pour from an empty cup”, and we believe this to be true. Continue reading to discover our top 3 mindful ways we like to protect our peace during the holiday season so that we may show up as our best and true selves for the ones we love.
Incorporate Meditation and Mindfulness Into Your Days – Any Way You Can
This time of year can be one of the most overwhelming periods for many. From planning gatherings, cooking meals, shopping for presents, travelling – you name it – we as humans can get easily dysregulated.
Sneaking meditation and mindfulness into our busy schedules doesn’t have to be hard or lengthy. Our favourite ways to take a pause for ourselves are to meditate first thing in the morning before the rest of our day begins, take a few minutes away from our gatherings to re-ground ourselves with a handful of deep breaths, and mindfully remind ourselves that even a little bit of mindfulness can help us through – no routine or practice has to be perfect and it’s OK to miss a day or two.
Set Healthy Boundaries
With people gathering together, there almost always comes a time where the friends or family around you have different viewpoints or begin to speak on topics that might make you uncomfortable. We want you to remember that it is absolutely okay to not engage in these conversations. Try stepping away from the table, taking a breath or a walk, or turn to someone you love to support you through – whether you take a quick phone call, text them, or have them beside you to keep you comfortable and regulated.
Our co-founder Tess also brought up a good point the other day – that it is OK if you WANT to spend the holidays alone. If this is going to aid your mental wellbeing then so be it. Make sure whoever you typically spend your holiday with knows that you are well, and set a firm boundary with them on spending the day or days alone. Note that not everyone’s reaction to this will be great, but make it clear as to why you need or want to do this for yourself and that you hope they can support you during this time.
Pick & Choose Your Holiday Outings
We all love a good holiday party or get together as much as the next person, but at times it can feel like we’re pulling teeth trying to fit everything into our already busy calendars.
Our favourite way to protect our peace when it comes to events is picking and choosing which ones we actually want to go to. We evaluate which parties or outings we feel the most connected to and decline the rest. This allows us to still have time between our social engagements to really take care of and nurture ourselves.
Remember, it’s not always going to be easy or feel perfect when protecting your peace – others’ emotions are running high at this time of year and people can be easily offended. Try to keep in mind WHY you are implementing these practices. You must take care of yourself to take care of others.
We hope that you can find and protect your peace this December,
Happy Holidays from the Chapter Two Meditation Team!