How to Be More Present During the Holidays

Do you find it hard to slow down and really enjoy the holiday season?

You’re not alone! The holidays are an incredibly busy time of year, where you are expected to keep up with the demands of work, family, friends, community, while still celebrating and enjoying everything happening around you. That’s a tall order, and there’s only so much time to do it all in! 

With all of this going on, it can be tricky to stay present and really enjoy what’s happening around you during the holiday season. It’s hard enough to stay present and mindful during non-holiday times of year, after all. 

However, slowing down and taking the time to really enjoy each moment can be a real gift to yourself this year. Think about the last time you actually enjoyed the holidays. Maybe it was last year. Maybe it was 20 years ago. What was it about that year that helped you have a good time? How can you re-create that magic for yourself, even just a little, this year? You deserve to enjoy the magic of the holidays just as much as anyone else does. 

One way is to slow down and try to stay in the present moment, so you can actually take in the holidays instead of watching them rush by. Mindfulness has many benefits, not just helping you enjoy the holidays, but this is one way that mindfulness can help you make the most of your end of year celebrations.

If you’re looking for ways to slow down the holiday rush this year so you can actually enjoy yourself, here are some ideas for how to stay present during the holiday season: 

Build in mindfulness moments

Make mindfulness a non-negotiable part of your day, even if you have something else going on. This will help you get in the habit of slowing down during this time of year. Try to tack it onto another habit that you already have down, like brewing your coffee in the morning or brushing your teeth at night. 

Try to make it as simple as possible, and have a video or track ready to go that you can follow along with to make it easier to do. The less complicated it is for you to make mindfulness a habit, the easier it will be to follow through on and feel the benefits of slowing down and being in the present moment. 

Go analog 

Remember how holidays used to feel before we always had 1 to 3 screens in our faces at all times? Things felt a lot slower then, and we can take some inspiration from those times now. Try to go analog as much as you can this season and see if it makes a difference in how present you feel this year. 

Here are some analog holiday ideas to try: 

• Use a real camera - not a phone to take your holiday photos this year

• Shop in person, not online if you can

• Make holiday decorations yourself if you’re up for it (paper chains are a hit!)

• Make a gingerbread house out of gingerbread that you bake, not a kit

Set limits on screen time

Similar to going analog, try to stay off of screens as much as you can. When you’re behind a screen, it’s pretty hard to also be in the present moment. The holidays only come around once a year, so put your phone down for a few weeks - it will still be there after the new year, we promise! 

To help make it easy for yourself, set stricter limits on your screen time allowance on your phone settings, so you’ll have to manually bypass the limit and therefore think twice before going back to your screens. 

Create new rituals

Are there any new rituals or traditions that you’d like to start for your family this year? Starting something new that you can do each holiday season can be exciting and inspiring, and give you another reason to be connected to the present moment instead of distracted or overwhelmed. You don’t have to make it super complicated or hard for yourself, just try to think of things that would make you feel excited to celebrate this year. Turn to social media to get ideas for this one!

Give back if you can

Finally, there’s nothing like helping other people to make you recognize what you have and feel more connected to the present moment. See if there’s a way you and your family can give back, either with your time or financially, this holiday season. It’s empowering to realize that you can make such a big difference for other people, and that realization can help you feel more connected to the season and the community around you. 

The holiday season can be a busy time, but it’s also an important time to stay present and enjoy the magic of the season. If you’re looking for more ways to be more present during this time of year, working with a therapist can help. Contact our office today to make an appointment!