Want More Rest Over the Holidays? Try This Simple Shift

It’s no secret that for most of us, this time of year is the busiest. End-of-year concerts, work parties, award ceremonies, planning for next year, dinners — the list goes on.

And yet... for many, it’s also the longest consecutive break from work all year.

If you're someone who counts down to the holidays for some well-earned downtime (NB: not everyone does — I met a man at a party last night who loves working during the holidays because the office is quiet and he can get more done!), then this post is for you.

Let’s talk about how to stretch the holidays — not by adding days, but by deepening presence.

Whether you have two days or two weeks off, you can actually expand your experience of time by increasing your presence.

Have you ever stood in line at the post office and noticed someone ahead of you clearly in a rush?
Their shoulders are up around their ears, they’re tapping their foot, sighing loudly, maybe flapping a few papers around. You can feel their energy. They’re somewhere else in their mind.

And then there's you. Calm. Aware. Just taking it in. Even though you're both in the same queue, in the same space, for the same reason — your experience of that moment is completely different.

The difference? What's going on inside your mind.

Being present is also called being in a state of flow.

As Lance P. Hickey Ph.D. writes:

“There are moments in which your mind becomes so entirely absorbed in the activity that you ‘forget yourself’ and begin to act effortlessly, with a heightened sense of awareness of the here and now... Your actions seem frozen in time and every little sound becomes more intense.”

This holiday season, whether you’re with your children, your partner, extended family, friends — or you’re carving out space just for you — try cultivating more of those moments.

Be in the zone.
Feel every sip of your morning coffee.
Notice the sun on your skin.
Let your child’s laugh draw you in.

The more you truly feel the moments, the longer the holidays will seem to last.

What’s one way you plan to be more present these holidays? Message me and let me know — I’d love to hear how you’re creating more flow and calm in your world.