3 Tips To Be More Present This Time Of Year

There’s so much meaning and wonder to discover during the holidays, yet it feels like with every passing year it seems to go faster - and more distractions somehow surface at the same pace pulling for our presence.
 
This year, let’s resolve to slow down, drop in to the sacredness of the season and give ourselves permission to not be anywhere else, but in the beauty of the present moment.

Here are 3 tips to help:

1. Airplane Mode. 
 
This mini computer in our pocket can be the source of so much connection and, simultaneously, so much disconnection and distraction.
 
The meaning of this season is found in moments spent with dear friends and family - or even strangers that have the potential to grow into something deeper. But the beauty of the holidays can be diluted when we’re glued to our screens and give our phones more attention than those around us. 
 
Put a designated bowl by the door for guests to put their phones in when they arrive or simply put your personal phone on airplane mode to help minimize the temptation to constantly check notifications or how other people (aka strangers on social media) are spending their day.
 
Honor the sacredness of this time together because soon enough, these moments will simply become sweet memories.
 
2. Prioritize Self-Health. 

Self-health is our fresh approach to trending terms like self-care and self-love. It’s simply investing in your health (mind, body and spirit) for the sake of being the most vibrant, present version of yourself for those you love.

If we neglect self-health or, on the flip side, overemphasize it, it impacts our ability to be fully present for the people around us. Whether it’s from exhaustion and burnout by not considering our health needs or by being overly obsessed with self and lacking consideration for others.

This season especially, prioritize quality sleep, nourishing meals and simple routines and rituals to help you feel grounded and recharged, so you're more able to naturally overflow with kindness, compassion and presence towards others. Here are some wellness tools, lifestyle habits and tips for parents to enhance self-health this holiday season.

P.S. Some seasons, self-health looks different. Give yourself grace for the season you’re in (we see you, mama!) and prioritize the practices that serve you and your schedule - for the sake of showing up more fully  for those around you.

3. Mindful Moments.

Whether you’re a business owner coming out of your busiest time of the year or a mama pulled in a hundred directions trying to keep up with the holiday hustle and bustle (or both!), you might find it difficult to actually slow down, quiet your mind and allow yourself to be in (and actually enjoy) this present moment.

If you find your mind drifting or your heart unsettled, here’s a very simple place to start to reconnect with your body and the beauty of the present moment:

Notice your senses - what you can see, feel, touch, smell and taste. Tune in to the feeling of the floor beneath your feet, the warmth of the fireplace, the aroma of the Winter Oil Blend diffusing, the color of your partner's eyes staring back at you, the robust taste of red wine, your inhale, your exhale.

This not only helps you drop into the present moment and deeply soak in your surroundings and the souls you're spending time with, but it actually makes time move more slowly - and isn't that something we all long for, especially this season.

Plus, these mindful moments help you minimize distractions (internally and externally) and offer your present, full self to those you're with. And may you remember, this season most importantly, that your present self is truly the greatest gift of all.

What practices do you find helpful to remain in the present moment? Please share in the comments below! XO

Pin your fav blog posts below: