I know that for me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always seems to go by too fast. Anyone else??? Every year it feels like there is so much to do, so much to fit in. How can we approach the holidays in a way that feels more life-giving and restful and less hurried and distracted? How can we enter the new year feeling more present and centered rather than feeling like we need a few weeks time off from our so-called “vacation”?

Gifts to buy, family plans to be had, decor to get out (and to put away…), seasonal food to make – all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is enough to make anyone’s head spin. What’s more, the holidays can be an even more challenging time if you are struggling in your relationship with food. There may be get-together after get-together featuring festive holiday food as well as family time + plans less outside of our normal control. Even if you are reading this and don’t consider yourself someone who struggles with disordered eating or an eating disorder, you may still experience some of the anxiety + guilt surrounding food that is so common in our culture, especially at the holidays.

For me, this is the first Christmas I have had in a long time where I wasn’t in school or (last year) my dietetic internship. “Christmas break” was always intermingled with finishing grad school projects, dietetic internship applications, dietetic internship work, prepping for a new semester,  etc. etc. THANKFULLY I am done with all that. With the heightened pace of work in December and/or work I had to get done over the break, it was hard to feel rested over the Christmas + New Year holidays.

Even if you are in school or a place of increased busyness for whatever reason during December, how can you create (even just slightly) more rest and presence for yourself this holiday season? How can you experience more of what you truly want over the holidays (whatever that may be for you) and less of what leaves you feeling drained and discouraged heading into the new year?

I’ll share some thoughts that come to my mind heading into the holiday season, and hopefully you will feel encouraged or inspired to think creatively about rest + mindful presence for your own holiday season in whatever way that might realistically look like for you given your current circumstances, challenges, and life season.

Enjoying + embracing the food: 

While this is always a principle I try to embrace in my life, I think it is helpful for me to think about even more intentionally at the holidays when there is more food to enjoy that I don’t often have. Instead of taking an anxious approach to festive holiday food that may be “out of the norm,” I seek to ENJOY these eating opportunities that might only happen once a year. I also like to remember that I have CHOICES. I can eat something if I want to and I can leave something else if I don’t want it. I can eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I can also eat when I am NOT hungry and eat till I am OVERLY full. Sometimes the food is so tasty and this is a mindful choice I want to make. Sometimes it is not a choice I want to make. I can have some more now or in the morning. The point here is that I want to be mindful that I have CHOICES and OPTIONS each and every time I have a food to eat or not to eat. I don’t need to anxiously consume anything because I can always have more later. I can ENJOY whatever food it is I want to enjoy without the food police telling me I did something “wrong”. There is no place for the food police at a holiday gathering, or anywhere else for that matter!

Identifying a few key things to do each day:

The holidays are often a time where we are traveling and/or out of our normal routines in some way. I am very much a structure and routine person so this can feel stressful to me. I find it helpful to identify a few key things I still want to do each day (that are part of my normal routine), even if I am traveling, staying at someone else’s house, outside of my normal work week rhythm, etc. For me, these things usually include my Bible reading/prayer time and some sort of run/walk outside by myself in the morning. I am very much an introvert and need some time to myself each day, especially in the morning. What might these things be for you? I also find it helpful to modify these activities if needed. If I don’t have as much time in the morning or don’t want to take quite as much time as usual, I will shorten these activities.

How can you engage in a few life-giving activities for yourself each day (even with all the hustle + bustle), modifying them as much as needed for your day’s circumstances? What are the couple of essential key things that help you feel more present and centered / help you feel like yourself?

Mindfully saying no or yes:

There are only three weekends between now and Christmas Eve/Christmas, and only so much we can realistically fit in. I know I can often end up saying “yes” to too many plans – which are all fun and good in and of themselves – but then I find myself feeling exhausted and frustrated over how many plans there are and the lack of down time and space for the things I’d like to be doing more of during the season (#introvert). This year, I want to be more mindful to say YES when able and okay with saying NO if it is too much. I see this as not at all black-and-white, as sometimes I do stretch myself beyond my intuited “preferred amount of plans capacity” if it is something especially fun, meaningful, or important I want to be at, even if it means feeling slightly more drained from a time and energy perspective. However, I also do want to mindfully carve out more rest and space this year, as this has been a frustrating-to-me pattern I don’t want to continue to repeat. Definitely a constant work in progress / evaluation of priorities.

What events do you want to say YES to, and which might you say NO to? What about traditions you “have'” to do? Tasks that “must” get done? Are these things you truly have to do or get done, or things you are TELLING yourself you have to do? What can you set aside this year in order to in effect say YES to more of what you do want (whether that is rest and downtime, family time, events, traditions, having the house fully decorated and all the cookies made… – only you can know what you want more of this year, not me!).

Reflecting on the ultimate peace + rest that is found in Christ:

We all know from experience that despite our best intentions, sometimes (often) things do not go according to our plans or desires. I know that despite my intention to experience a bit more rest and presence this Christmas season, there will be challenges and curveballs that come my way, and I may or may not end up feeling rested in the ways I’d ideally like. Maybe I will get to New Years’ Day feeling burnt out and exhausted from the holidays. Maybe you are in a season of considerable challenge or hardship, and it feels difficult to experience even a moment of peace, freedom from anxiety + worry, or rest.

For me, my ultimate source of peace and rest is found in Christ, not in the fleeting and unreliable circumstances of this world. I know that this is an unshakeable foundation no matter what life throws at me (however big or small) at the holidays or in any season. This is especially important to me to reflect on at Christmas, as I believe it to be the whole point of the season. We can, and in may ways, I think, should seek to carve out rest physically and mentally for our minds and bodies, but there remains a need for an unshakeable foundation of rest and peace for our souls that supersedes all else.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” // Matthew 11:28-30

“In the world you WILL have tribulation, But take heart, I have overcome the world.” // John 16:33b (emphasis added)

Some final questions to consider:

How do you want to feel throughout the holiday season? (Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, etc.)

What might you need to say YES to more often to feel this way? Say NO to?

Is there anything you are telling yourself you HAVE to do that feels more like a “should do” than a “want to do”? Do you really have to do it, and if not is it worth it to say yes to? (Could still be worth it. Also may not be).

Where do you find your ultimate source of peace, comfort, and rest?

It is my hope that you experience deep peace and rest for yourself this holiday season. Even if it ends up looking different than expected!