If you’re anything like me, the holidays can present a lot of mixed emotions. I personally tend to experience stress, depression, anxiety, guilt, joy, gratitude, and a whole long list of other emotions.

The past few years I have learned to let go of some of those less pleasant emotions as I know that they do not serve me. However, I am far from perfect and still tend to get caught up in all the hustle every now and then. With all of the holiday stress it is easy to get further away from the whole purpose of the holidays in the first place: connection, love, and time with family and friends. In addition, the stress can play a MAJOR role in our health. Who wants to wake up Christmas morning sick in bed because they stayed up all week stressing over gifts, wrapping, etc?

Here are my top tips to having a holiday season that meets all of our basic needs: certainty, variety, significance, love and connection, growth and contribution.

1. Movement is necessary.
   Whether it is a weight training workout, dancing, cycle class, or yoga class, my goal this month is to move EVERY DAY. Even if it’s a short 30 minute slow flow at home, my body desperately needs to move, and we hold onto a lot during these months. It’s necessary to move and shake it off.

2. Meditate.
   My plan is to meditate at least 7 minutes every day. Lately I’ve been shooting for 20 -30 minute meditations, but sitting in stillness while the rest of the world is running around, is a must for me. I practiced a 7 minute meditation on Thanksgiving morning and it totally changed the pace of the day. I felt calm, neutral, and focused to take on the day. We also hosted my family, and I didn’t have any breakdowns or stress-induced moments. Whew!

3. Be intentional every day.
   For example, my intentions for thanksgiving were, joy, love & connection. Guess what? The holiday with my family was just that. Full of joy, love, and connecting with each other. When I am intentional, my self-awareness skyrockets. I try to set an intention each morning, and attach the FEELING associated to that intention. When we attach emotion to the intention, that’s how we really create in our lives. What does the intention feel like in the body? 

4. Live in gratitude.
   I have a jar filled with sticky notes that I try to write 3 things I’m grateful for each day. The jar is overflowing, and when I start or end my day in gratitude, it changes the game for me. It is when we get out of the gratitude filled mindset where our expectations become too high and we get into the receiving-only mode. Live in gratitude and all will unfold.

5. I am upping my supplement intake.
   This is the time where we all are susceptible to picking up a cold or flu. My current supplement line-up: dōTERRA’s OnGuard. These capsules are filled with POWERFUL plant extracts intended to support the immune system (reach out to me to order).
   Our immune system is stored in our GUT and with all of the junk we tend to enjoy during this time, a quality probiotic is necessary. I take Purium’s BIOME MEDIC. It helps to strip the gut of glyphosate (a byproduct of GMO’s) and also coats the gut with good bacteria. Good news! I have a $50 gift card just for you if you use my code brittanyboersma. In addition, I take Purium’s Gluten Free Power Shake, their Super Amino 23, and ApotheCherry (all of these make up their Core 4 nutrition). Purium also has an incredible CBD spray that helps with inflammation—excellent for this season!

6. Be present with your loved ones.
   For me that means enjoying our meals at the dining room table WITHOUT our cell phones in the room. It means to look people in the eye and empathize with their situation.  Minimizing time spent scrolling through social media (this is a big one for me), doing something active with a loved one, and actively listening when having a conversation.
   One tip that helps me stay present through a conversation is for me to feel into my own body. For example, I feel my feet on the floor, tune into the clothes on my body, touch the person I’m talking with (as long as those boundaries are okay), or maybe smell the essential oil that I’ve applied to my skin that day. All of these things pull you into the present, so find what works best for you!

7. Lastly, this season is especially important to GIVE.
   Perhaps it’s gathering some coats to give to the shelter, adopting a family to buy gifts for, or paying for someone’s groceries at the checkout line. How can you quietly give (without receiving accolades) to genuinely help another? There are a lot of challenges that people face during this time of year. Even a smile can help if you’re not able to give monetarily. I recently heard of a story about a friend’s elderly uncle who wandered from home and couldn’t find his way back. A group of young people picked him up off the street and helped him find his way home! How incredible is that? WOW. Keep your eye out for those who genuinely need help. You never know who might need you.

   Alright! You’re all set for a chill holiday season with your friends and family. Do you have any tried and true practices you use during the holidays to stay calm? Share them below!

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   XOXO,
   Brit

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