“We rise by lifting others.” Robert Ingersoll
The end of the year is a busy time for most people. There are holiday gatherings, company parties, shopping for the perfect gift, lots of traffic, unpredictable weather, elections, 4th quarter deadlines for businesses, family traditions, etc.
It is meant to be a time of connection, love, joy, and celebration. However, it can turn into a stressful season that some people can hardly wait for it to be over so life can return to “normal”. Anxiety rises and depression can set in as the days get shorter and the nights get longer.
Why is that? Perhaps there are unspoken expectations, pressures mounting in the work environment, financial stress from rising costs and holiday shopping. Put on top o that families that have recently suffered the loss of a loved one, wars raging around the world, and politics jamming the wheels of progress.
If we take a step back for a moment, we realize that all the things stressing us out are out of our control. They are going to play out their dramas no matter what we feel or believe. There are ways however, to deepening the holiday experience and feel joyful and happy regardless of what is going on around you. News flash, this is an inside job to be performed be YOU! Practice kindness…
Practicing kindness can do wonders for lifting the mood and enhancing how you feel. Kindness includes being generous towards others, giving your time, money, or talent to support those in need. It is about being compassionate, which also means being present with someone, whether that is listening to them unload their troubles or just sitting with them and silently supporting them. Kindness is also being nurturing and caring towards others AND yourself.
Kindness is the language of the heart. When practiced consciously, it calms the mind and opens the heart center, bringing harmony and peace. It shifts your focus away from your own problems and helps to lift your mind above the troubles of the world.
5 ways to practice kindness towards others:
1. Volunteer your time to a cause or charity you care about.
2. Perform random acts of kindness for strangers.
3. De-clutter your home and donate items to a local charity.
4. Complete a chore that your partner or other family member usually does.
5. Text or email 5 people you know and tell them what you appreciate about them.
5 ways to practice kindness towards the self:1. Spend time doing something you love.
2. Take a walk outside in nature.
3. Get a massage.
4. Soak in a hot bath with lavender oil.
5. Call a friend you haven’t seen or spoken with for a while.
As the holiday season gains momentum, take time to be kind to yourself and others. Add a daily gratitude practice and sprinkles of humor here and there. It will help you cope with stressful situations and you might experience the holidays in a new way with more meaning and most of all, more love in your heart.
