Handling the Holidays: Savor One Moment

Written by Kelsie Goller, MA, LPC-S, RPT, EMDR Certified

Clinical Director, KPS

There is a lot to bombard the senses during the holiday season. There are the sounds of holiday music (sometimes blasting) on every shopping trip. The scents of peppermint, gingerbread, pine. The sights of the lights on houses, the red and green and blue decorations, the glittering tinsel. The tastes of hot cocoa, sugar cookies, and ham. There is the feel of colder temperatures and occasionally (but not likely in east Texas) even a snow flurry. Many of these things can bring back nostalgic memories for us, but sometimes when it is all put together, it is too much of a good thing, leading to sensory overload and overwhelm when added to the long list of programs to attend, things to do, and gifts to buy in the season.

This will be the shortest blog I write this year, because this is the month when time is in the shortest supply. My encouragement for you this month is to take ten minutes to sit or stand still. Set your intention for this month. Many of us have a plethora of expectations from ourselves or from others (friends/children/spouses) surrounding this season- expectations that we would make the holiday a glittering success by baking the favorite treat, buying the perfect gift, making a certain amount of money to fund it all, and so on. But in your quiet ten minutes, consider- what would make this holiday season a “success” for you? What is your deepest desire for this month of December? Perhaps it is something that is not achievable, like seeing a loved one who passed away this year or visiting family far away. Take a moment to recognize and grieve the loss of that deepest desire. Then choose something that is specific and achievable for this month, and make that thing a top priority for you.

Savor the moment when you are engaging in your chosen thing. Is it watching a Hallmark movie with popcorn and hot cocoa? Relishing an afternoon-long cookie baking session with kids? Taking a hike alone in a favorite nature spot? Having a quiet morning to savor every sip of coffee while reading? While engaging in your chosen activity, try to engage all of your senses mindfully and fully. Literally make a memory this season, encoding the moment in memory by being fully present. And then choose gratitude for this moment of time. Study after study over the previous decades has demonstrated the positive impact of gratitude on mental health. This article from Harvard Health Publishing details some practical ways of practicing gratitude.

Wishing you a peaceful and gratitude-filled end of your year,

Kelsie