Sometimes we find ourselves stressed out around the holidays, when things don’t seem to be going our way. The more stressed or upset we go, the more things seem to go wrong, Right?!
Here’s 5 tips to reduce so stress on the days things aren’t going right...
Inward reflection: Check you body posture, facial expression and breathing.
Is your face a neck tense? Shoulders slumped and breathing shallow? These are all indications of stress.
1. BREATHE: Not just regular breaths but DEEP belly breaths. This helps indicate to your body that everything is okay. Deep breaths are a sign to you brain that you can relax and there's no real danger.
2. MOVE: Put on some holiday songs and dance your butt off! Go for a brisk walk. Moving shifts your energy and focus, increasing your blood flow and releasing endorphins both combat stress symptoms
3. SMELL: Burn a nice holiday scented candle, or add a nice lavender to your oil diffuser and take those deep breaths!
4. BAKE: Adding “fire element” can help kick some of your stress as we go into this water season, as well as activate your kitchen.
5. LAUGH!! Watch to a funny movie, watch funny videos on YouTube, ask your kids to tell you a joke or just be silly.
Just remember don’t take everything so seriously and allow yourself room for mistakes and to be off schedule if that turkey takes longer to bake than anticipated.
Now for 5 tips you can do to shift the Feng Shui for the holiday season
1. Add RED to the south area of your home.
Not only is it a festive color that can be easily added with some traditional decor or poinsettias, but it symbolizes fire and is a nice symbolic reminder of the suns return after the winter solstice (which marks the point of the year where the Earth is turned farthest from the sun making it the longest night with the most darkness) This is also the time of year that the days again start to lengthen and the Yang returns. Fire is a nice symbol of this!
2. DECORATE: The 29th & 30 (November) would make excellent days to do some deep cleaning and rearranging of furniture to get the house ready for the tree. Or doing your holiday decorating.
3. GIVE THANKS WITH SYMBOLS OF ABUNDANCE: It goes with our saying that Thanksgiving is a day to well...give thanks... Fill your holiday table with a bounty that speaks of abundance to you. Thanksgiving is a harvest holiday. surround yourself with symbols that remind you of your accomplishments for the year. Thanksgiving day itself is not considered a “good day“ energy wise HOWEVER that just means you can take a step back from work and focus on enjoying your long weekend.
4. LIGHT A FIRE: Place a candle in the South on the 30th to activate the yearly “dragon virtue” or light a fire in a fireplace or fire pit.
5. FOCUS ON THE NORTH FOR DECEMBER: The north also carries a some good energies for the year while some more negative energy shifts into the South after December 5th. Use the date of December 13th (7-9 am) to place water in the North and keep it up for 2 weeks.
While you’re at it, use some of that free time off to feed your mind by listening to something inspiring. YouTube is full of free, inspiring content that can lift your spirit. when we feel empty & uninspired we need to fill ourselves to be able to give to others. We can’t properly feed others in our life, if we ourselves are empty. So enjoy your well deserved time off!
From my family to your yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. May it be filled with happy memories.