with the following questions:
So, friends, I ask you how do you slow down? What helps you focus on you well-being and that of others around you. What little changes do you make in your life that can affect others? The collective unconscious must be clamoring for calm, a break from the chaos this season, because I've been drawn to three different practices for just such a purpose.
1) I am reading Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton. It is a guide for honing in on what your spirit really wants and needs during the holiday season--not what the commercials say you need, or your hundred-year-old family traditions, for that matter. It's a lovely small book that is easy to read a bit, then ponder a bit...and then maybe cross off an item or two on your to-do list.
2) I receive weekly emails from Ami Kunimura, founder of The Self-Care Institute. This Wednesday's post gave us four tips for managing holiday stress. The first two are my favorites: "pace yourself", and "honor your personal boundaries." Ami gives us permission to save some time and energy for our own personal needs.
3) I am filling in the Cultivate What Matters Advent edition of their Write the Word journal. Each morning, I write a note of gratitude, look up the assigned Scripture in my Bible, copy the lines, write a reflection, and choose a word to carry through the day. The whole process takes me fifteen or so minutes, but it is a calming and centering routine that connects me to the hopeful, peaceful anticipation of the liturgical season.
The calm I feel through these practices gives me the patience to manage problems as they arise at work and home. I can choose to absorb only news that affects and informs me, and take time instead to enjoy a scented candle, baking my favorite cookies, wrapping gifts for family and friends.
May this Advent be less a season of chaos and stress, and more opportunities to breathe, be still, and believe in the hope that came to life on Christmas morning.
Chris, I love the idea of pacing ourselves. So often we feel that we must everything for everyone. That is so unrealistic. We need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. Your calming practices sound like a good way to center yourself and get you through the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob. I don't think I could tackle the rest of the workday without my quiet time in the morning!
DeleteThank you for sharing these bits of wisdom. I especially like the part about pacing ourselves. Never thought about that. It’s always been about scheduling too much then feeling like a failure for not keeping up. I’m considering a social media break so I’m not constantly looking at all the oohs and ahhs of the season.
ReplyDeleteAlice, I'm still trying to figure out how to get the home stuff done after long, tiring workdays. I always plan to do even just a little, and I end up falling asleep on the couch! I agree with the social media break; I think I will do the same over our winter break.
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