{"id":7615,"date":"2017-11-27T10:17:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T15:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays\/"},"modified":"2018-06-27T12:26:06","modified_gmt":"2018-06-27T17:26:06","slug":"making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Making It Easier to be Mindful During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1115\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.psychcentral.com\/mindful-parenting\/files\/2017\/11\/IMG_0901.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1115\" src=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/files\/2017\/11\/IMG_0901-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keepin\u2019 it real here, folks. Here\u2019s our Hanukkah celebration from a couple of years ago \u2013 one kid grumpily lighting candles while the other one has a fit. Good times!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today is Giving Tuesday, hot on the heels of Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Melt on The Couch Because You\u2019re So Damn Tired Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Folks, we are officially in the holiday season. Yikes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By now you\u2019ve probably already read various posts about how to survive the holidays and make them more meaningful without getting sucked into the chaos. You also probably came across ideas such as gifting experiences rather than objects, remembering the reason for the season (which, despite what my kids will tell you, is not acquiring every Lego Friends set ever made) \u00a0and adopting an attitude of gratitude. Cheesy rhymes aside, this is all solid advice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s just one problem with all of it: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s hard to do<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s hard to be intentional and chill and super mindful during the holidays for a few different reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Very little about our popular culture supports you in doing anything other than buying all the crap all the time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You may have a history of getting sucked into the busyness of decorating and cooking and shopping and trying to make everyone else happy, all of which may have been exacerbated once you became a parent and wanted to make the holiday \u201cperfect\u201d for your kids.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The holidays can be triggering because of loss, divorce, family tension, mental health concerns, financial stressors, or any number of other issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You feel compelled to continue with old holiday traditions or rituals, even when they don\u2019t work for you anymore.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your schedules and routines get disrupted by travel plans, guests, holiday events, and days off school. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Things get so busy that you forget to take care of your basic needs (sleep, exercise, quiet time, etc), while holding yourself to even higher standards than you usually do.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This isn\u2019t going to be another post reminding you to be breathe and go slowly (although that is excellent advice). Rather, I want to explore what you can to make easier to be intentional i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">n how you spend your time, money, and energy during the holidays, rather than getting caught up in old habits or reactive behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Take just a little time to figure out what really matters to you.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> There is no right answer here, other than what\u2019s right for your family. Journaling can help, and if you have a parenting partner, discuss it with them. This is important because it\u2019s hard to be mindful when you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re supposed to be mindful of.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Check social media less often.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This is important during this time of year for a very specific reason: the more time you spend staring at carefully curated and filtered images of beautifully decorated homes and perfectly iced gingerbread cookies and super meaningful religious experience and warm, loving family time, the more inadequate you will feel. I can remind you twenty-seven ways to Christmas that those images either aren\u2019t real or aren\u2019t the whole story, but your brain won\u2019t remember that when you\u2019re actually staring at them. So give yourself a break.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Be flexible with your schedule, but honor the showstoppers. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s ok for your daily routines to get a little wonky during the holidays because of your daughter\u2019s Hanukkah performance at school or the annual family viewing of Elf. Your kids will likely eat more crap than they usually do, and that\u2019s ok too. It\u2019s part of what makes this time of year fun, so try not to stress about it. However, you would do well to honor the showstoppers in your family. I\u2019m talking about the basic self-care that the each person in your family needs to keep functioning. I have one kid who has to get 11-12 hours of sleep each night or she gets sick. I have another one who gets super cranky if she doesn\u2019t move her body. I get tired and irritable if I eat too much sugar. It\u2019s different for everyone, and some folks are more flexible than others, but if you can figure out the showstoppers for each member of your family and do your best to honor them, the holiday will go more smoothly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Give yourself permission to change course.<\/strong> It\u2019s ok to switch it up, to let go of old traditions and start new ones. It\u2019s ok to say no. It\u2019s ok to set limits. No, really, it is, and not just because some random lady on the internet says so. This is your life, and these are your holidays. How do you want to live them? If you\u2019re not sure, go back to that conversation about your values. It will help.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Whether you like it or not, sleep is a showstopper for everyone. Even if you think you can get by with six hours a night, you can\u2019t. You just can\u2019t. Everything about the holidays will be easier and more fun when you\u2019re not sleep deprived, so do whatever it takes to get more sleep. Keep in mind that both alcohol and caffeine can screw up your sleep, so take it easy on the booze and coffee if sleep is a challenge for you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Connect with your peeps. <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many of us spend time over the holidays with folks who we may love, but they aren\u2019t our peeps. Our peeps are the friends we can be real and honest and hilarious with, and we know they\u2019ll laugh at our crazy shit and share their insanities. You know you\u2019re with your peeps because after you hang out with them, you feel better: more relaxed, less stressed, more empowered, less ashamed. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Go easy on yourself. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This can be a hard time of year for so many reasons. It\u2019s ok to feel sad or disappointed or angry or confused. Do the best you can with what you have, take care of yourself, and remember that whatever you\u2019re dealing with, you\u2019re not alone.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Want<em> more mindful parenting and updates on my forthcoming book, <\/em>How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids<em>? <a href=\"http:\/\/carlanaumburg.com\/signup\/\">Sign up for my free, not-at-all annoying newsletter.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"likebtn_container\" style=\"\"><!-- LikeBtn.com BEGIN --><span class=\"likebtn-wrapper\"  data-identifier=\"post_7615\"  data-site_id=\"63347fe36fd08b6c05de3d9e\"  data-dislike_enabled=\"false\"  data-icon_dislike_show=\"false\"  data-white_label=\"true\"  data-style=\"\"  data-unlike_allowed=\"\"  data-show_copyright=\"\"  data-item_url=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays\/\"  data-item_title=\"Making It Easier to be Mindful During the Holidays\"  data-item_image=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/files\/2017\/11\/IMG_0901-300x300.jpg\"  data-item_date=\"2017-11-27T10:17:00-05:00\"  data-engine=\"WordPress\"  data-plugin_v=\"2.6.59\"  data-prx=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=likebtn_prx\"  data-event_handler=\"likebtn_eh\" ><\/span><!-- LikeBtn.com END --><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.psychcentral.com\/mindful-parenting\/2017\/11\/1114\/\" target=\"_blank\">Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keepin\u2019 it real here, folks. Here\u2019s our Hanukkah celebration from a couple of years ago \u2013 one kid grumpily lighting candles while the other one has a fit. Good times! Today is Giving Tuesday, hot on the heels of Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Melt on The <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays\/\">Read More<\/a><br \/><img alt='' src='\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/17c811c4eace5f72d7b96700f8bf7930?s=32&#038;r=g&#038;d=https%3A%2F%2Funitedresourceconnection.org%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F08%2Fcandlesburning.jpeg' srcset='\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/17c811c4eace5f72d7b96700f8bf7930?s=32&#038;r=g&#038;d=https%3A%2F%2Funitedresourceconnection.org%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F08%2Fcandlesburning.jpeg 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height='32' width='32' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>  Shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/membership-directory\/carlanaumburg\/profile\">Carla Naumburg, Ph.D, Contributing Blogger<\/a>  November 27, 2017<\/p>\n<div class=\"likebtn_container\" style=\"\"><!-- LikeBtn.com BEGIN --><span class=\"likebtn-wrapper\"  data-identifier=\"post_7615\"  data-site_id=\"63347fe36fd08b6c05de3d9e\"  data-dislike_enabled=\"false\"  data-icon_dislike_show=\"false\"  data-white_label=\"true\"  data-style=\"\"  data-unlike_allowed=\"\"  data-show_copyright=\"\"  data-item_url=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/making-it-easier-to-be-mindful-during-the-holidays\/\"  data-item_title=\"Making It Easier to be Mindful During the Holidays\"  data-item_image=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/files\/2017\/11\/IMG_0901-300x300.jpg\"  data-item_date=\"2017-11-27T10:17:00-05:00\"  data-engine=\"WordPress\"  data-plugin_v=\"2.6.59\"  data-prx=\"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=likebtn_prx\"  data-event_handler=\"likebtn_eh\" ><\/span><!-- LikeBtn.com END --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1106,"featured_media":7616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5630],"tags":[10105,4143],"class_list":["post-7615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clinicians-blog","tag-archive","tag-mindful-parenting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}