December is almost upon us. For many people it means their well-deserved holiday time has finally arrived. No school. No work. No studies. Maybe you are getting ready to go to the sea or your favourite inland resort, maybe you are going to visit family or maybe this year it’s your turn to host the family for Christmas.
In South Africa, December means fun in the sun and lazy, hot days on the beach or next to the swimming pool. Relaxation with a capital R! Why then are so many people tired comes January? Totally stressed out, fed up with the children and, dare we say it, more than ready to flee the house and return to work?
I think it’s because we forget to pack the right emotions for the season, and with that, the right attitude and expectations.
5 Things to leave at home:
1. Your wish for a perfect holiday/Christmas
We all have that picture in our heads, fuelled with what we see in the movies and in magazines. The perfect meal, with perfect decorations and the perfect happy family around the perfect tree. You have to realize, there is no such thing as a perfect anything. Don’t expect everybody to behave and to be like you wish them to be. Enjoy every moment and relax. It doesn’t matter if you forget half of the things at home. It doesn’t matter if you get a flat tyre on the way or if the children argue, as usual, over who sits where in the car. It’s all part of the deal. Just take it as an adventure, one moment at a time.
Don’t think of all the things that might go wrong. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just be!
2. Your worries about work
You are on holiday! The world will not come to an end if you don’t check or answer a work email. You deserve the break.
3. Your irritation, anger and any other negative emotional baggage from the past.
Maybe you are still angry because last year your sister-in-law didn’t like the gift you bought her. Maybe you got hurt 10 years ago and now you still hate the Christmas Season. Maybe you are still angry with your husband about something he said or did six months ago. Let it go! Forgive. Move on. Enjoy the NOW! We never know when this might be our last Christmas, therefore, enjoy it.
4. All those electronic devices.
Can you imagine a holiday without social media, email and the internet? No TV? We used to do it all the time, and we had great fun. Families spending quality time together. Playing outside. Telling stories around camp fires. Playing cards or board games. Laughing, arguing and laughing some more. (Just pack one cell phone for emergencies and to call your Mom to say Happy Christmas!)
5. Negative expectations
Who packs negative expectations when going on holiday? We all have done it. Does any of the following sound familiar? “I hope we don’t get noisy neighbours again like last year”; “I know your sister is going to comment on my weight again”; “who’s going to end up cleaning after everybody again, me! That’s who!”; “oh, I just know your mother is going to frown again because I don’t make the sauce like she does it”; “I don’t know why we bother to go, it’s going to rain the whole time again.”
Don’t think of all the things that might go wrong. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just be!
5 Things that you have to pack:
1. An attitude of gratitude
You have made it through another year. You are on holiday. You get to spend time with loved ones. Be thankful.
Above all, enjoy your holiday. Treasure your loved ones and take care of yourself.
2. Your sense of humour
Laugh a lot. Smile a lot. It’s good for you and a great stress reliever. If things don’t work out quite as you have planned it, seek the funny side. Laughing and smiling are two of the most contagious things in the world. Spread the holiday cheer.
3. Put your NOW cap on
It is said that if you live in the past, you get depressed and if you only think about the future, you get anxiety. But, if you appreciate the NOW, you can really live. Enjoy the moment. See and treasure the small moments. That look your other half gives you from across the room. The warm hug from a family member you haven’t seen in a while. The first glimpse of the ocean…
4. Pack all your senses
This might sound silly at first, for your taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing go wherever you go. That’s true, but sometimes we forget to really use them. This holiday season make sure you really taste all those delicious treats, smell the fresh air, feel the sand under your toes, see all the small wonders of nature around you and listen to the wind, the sound of the waves, and really listen to your loved ones… even if you had heard that particular story ten times before.
5. The most important thing to pack: Relaxation
Practise deep breathing. Make time for yourself. Don’t overthink anything. Just be. Remind yourself to relax. We are so busy throughout the year, that sometimes our minds get stuck in the fight or flight mode. To relax can become an almost foreign concept for your mind. Use this holiday time, to train your mind to relax again. To become still again.
Above all, enjoy your holiday. Treasure your loved ones and take care of yourself.
