The hustle and bustle of the holidays is here. The whirlwind of families, activities and food can be an unbalancing time for many of us spiritual seekers even while it brings its many gifts. Today I will share with you some ways to find your center in the noise of the holidays with part 1 of this blog series. Tomorrow, in part 2 of this blog series, I will tell you how to survive the holidays as an empath.

Breathe! Slow, rhythmic breathing can sooth our overly stimulated nervous system and bring us back into our selves. When there is a lot going on around us our minds are processing a lot of information. We are listening to multiple conversations, perhaps cooking food, being with people that we don’t always see, and putting out best foot forward. When you feel the stress level rising take a moment to breath deeply. Even taking one deep breath will help you regain your balance and sooth those nerves.

Prepare for expressing extra patience. Mentally prepare yourself to be extra patient. People sometimes forget that things aren’t going to go as planned. People will be late, food will take longer, and things move at slower speed when there are more people. Expressing extra patience can look like giving yourself an extra 10 to 15 mins to get things done, patiently waiting for people to move out of the way, and choosing to not stress when things don’t go as planned.

Hold the love and light heartnedness. Moments with families can sometimes be stressful. Now is the time to show all the hard work you’ve been doing on your spiritual journey. Spend it mindfully and be attentive to your body language, words, and expression of those words. You can lift a whole group of people away from becoming overly stressed just by being light hearted and loving.

Give yourself time to decharge (let go of excess energy). The only time alone you might get is in the shower but use the moments you do have to yourself to decharge. You need to spend some time letting go of the chaotic energy of the holiday events in order to keep your energy balanced and centered. Spending 2 minutes quietly, some time listening to your favorite music, or taking a stroll by yourself can all help give you time to just let it all go.

Keep your spiritual practices at their regular times if possible. Try not to disturb your spiritual practices if you are currently doing them at the same time every day. If you are traveling this can be a challenge since you might be shifting time zones and staying at others houses. Our practices are core at keeping us grounded and centered during the holidays. Keeping this one thing consistent will help give you the best holiday ever.

Find the stillness in the noise. When you find yourself in the middle of the gathering take a moment to just be. Finding the stillness in yourself will allow a deeper appreciate for everything that is going on.

Finding your center in the noise of the holidays isn’t always easy. In part 1 of this blog series you have the above tips to keep you centered and sane during your holidays. Stayed tuned for tomorrow’s part 2 in the blog series where I will tell you how to survive the holidays as an empath.

Which of the above practices do you use to stay balanced and centered during the holidays? Leave a comment below!