Reminder For the Anxious Holiday Heart
Hello friends, and welcome back! What a whirlwind of a week it’s been! My family and I just returned home from a road trip to Florida, traveled a few days later to the mountains for Thanksgiving, celebrated my 31st birthday, and arrived back home late last night just in time for the countdown to Christmas! There's so much to do during the Holiday season that we often feel "less enjoyment" and "more obligation." Today, I wanted to leave any anxious hearts with a simple reminder...
Remember, to be still.
Although the highly awaited Christmas season is a favorite for most of us, it can leave a lot of us feeling anxious, and overwhelmed. The "hustle and bustle" attitude of keeping busy is basically glorified this time of year! Between the pressures of buying more and more gifts (which I’m personally not an advocate of), coming face to face with that friend, or relative you butt heads with, cooking for family, decorating to keep up with your neighbors, hosting your guests, or traveling to your holiday destination... these moments on our "to do list" can be stressful and often distract us from the beauty and purpose of it all!
Sweet friends, I urge you this Christmas to find moments in which, to be still. You don't have to buy loads of gifts, or have the “Pinterest perfect” tree. You can buy that store-bought pie if you don't have the time, or desire to make your own. You can choose when to arrive and leave a party to make room for some extra “family” time. You can save cleaning dishes for later. You can choose to turn a potential heated conversation into a peaceful “agree to disagree.” You can say “no, thank you.” You can step outside for some fresh air, and a moment to yourself.
Ask yourself the following: “Is what I'm doing taking away from what's really important?” “Is it pulling me away from precious moments with my family?” “Am I overdoing it simply to keep up with the Joneses’?” “Is it really worth all of the stress?” Don't allow any sort of obligation to rob you of a beautiful day with family that only comes once a year! You can't control others, but you can control how you choose to operate during the Christmas season, and I hope that in all the “hustle and bustle” you can find time to…
just be still.
How are you choosing to “be still” during this Christmas season? Have you even thought about it? Let me know in the comments below! I always reply :) Have a beautifully still day, everyone!
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
