The Christmas holiday is one characterized by joy, Merry, and a lot of chores. It always seems like both men and nature celebrate the remembrance of the "newborn king".
It's the most wonderful part of the year for most of us. We all have high hopes for the season, expecting to reconnect with families and friends who we might not have seen all year, exchange gifts and presents which spark joy and refreshment to our being. For some of us, it is that time of the year we take " a breath" from our jobs. Whatever the case may be, the Christmas season is often a time we all look forward to... well, that may not be completely true for some of us.
The Christmas holiday is not all exciting for many of us. Most times, things become extra busy with all the travels, shopping, parties, cooking, and family matters to handle. We, therefore, have to be intentional about our mindset. Stress can derail our attitude and make the Christmas season feel less like a miracle and more like a nightmare.
We must strive to maintain a positive mindset at times like this, and this has been made easier with mobile applications like blessify.com which helps amplify your gratitude for the season through daily prayer and appreciation; help you connect to a community of Christians who will encourage you; guide you with contextual prayers, bible verses, stories & revelations from Blessify community, and motivate you to stay positive and share your gratitude and faith with the community.
It is important that in times like this we set aside time to look inward and restore straight and gratitude for the season.
To help you get started with this, we've come up with some habits for a healthy Christmas holiday mindset.
One important and healthy mindset for the Christmas season is to take time to reflect and recount our wins and losses for the year. We leave in a world of many to-dos, we are always on the move, always trying to catch up with something. This is especially worse, during the Christmas season, where we need to catch up with a lot of activities.
Look over your calendar or your pictures and think about the past year. Make a note about your wins and losses, the big moments of change and transition. Write it out on a simple timeline from January to December. Just taking the time to review all that happened in the year will help you focus your thoughts on the things that matter.
To maintain a healthy mindset in this season we need to often sit down, turn off our gadgets, and think of the year. There are many ways we can achieve this:
Journaling: This is a very important mental health habit that allows you to get in touch with your inner mind. You don’t have to be a great writer, or even make a whole lot of sense, to journal. Start writing a few lines or paragraphs about your day—the highs, the lows, the people you talked to, and the things you accomplished. You can also free-write, as quickly as possible, about any subject that comes to mind. Let loose on those emotions. There’s nothing to be afraid of.
You can also write down things you are grateful for in the years; victories and also your losses. It helps you focus on the season and its importance.
Meditation is one powerful mental habit needed during the Christmas season with all of the running around and chores. After the days' activities, it's important to sit and meditate on how your day went. The practice of meditation has enormous benefits: it brings deep inner peace, mental clarity, resilience, better ability to process difficult emotions, better sleep and so much more. It can be a wonderful tool in dealing with depression, grief, and anxiety. It has been confirmed that meditation can rebuild your brain into its healthiest, most powerful version.
Here are a few tips to help you meditate:
1. Find a comfortable spot
The idea of meditation is to help you relax and rest your mind. To achieve this you need to find somewhere you can relax and free your mind. It could be sitting cross-legged on the floor with your hands in prayer or open on your knees, or standing in the tree pose on the mountain. It could be somewhere calm and nice in your house; It can be your bed, your closet, your couch, your back yard, your office chair. Where ever makes you feel relaxed is perfect for meditation.
2. Find the right atmosphere
Would you like to meditate in silence or do you like slow relaxing music? Maybe you prefer the sounds of breaking waves or rain? Or would you rather be guided through your meditation experience? Some day it might be your favorite meditation track, and another day you might prefer silence or meditating in your backyard listening to birds and background noises. Pick what feels the most relaxing and that helps you leave your life for a bit and be with yourself in complete peace.
Technology places an important role in our lives today, and apps like blessify.com can help maintain good mental habits like prayer and consistent study of the word during the Christmas season. The blessify app takes you on a personal journey to wholeness and healing through daily prayer guides, bible verses, worship songs, sermons, stories you can relate with, and revelations from the tight-knit Blessify community. The Blessify community motivates you to stay positive and to share your journey.
It is a well-known saying that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who you are with has a direct impact on who you are. Be intentional about the people you see over the holidays. You don’t have to say yes to every party invitation.
There’s no way you can keep up with it all! Focus on the people who bring positivity and encouragement and say NO to all bad energy around you. Avoid people who always criticize you at every given opportunity, avoid those who always condemn you and make you feel worthless.
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be only on Thanksgiving Day, or on special occasions. Carry the spirit of gratitude throughout Christmas and into the New Year. Practicing gratitude changes your mindset from one of fear to one of abundance.
There are plenty of good things in our lives—we just have to be intentional about looking for them, and when you can "count your blessings, name them one by one" it will indeed surprise what God has done.
And it is not a mistake that a thankful heart is the heart that makes merry. Whether it’s having a spontaneous dance party in the kitchen while cooking, or throwing together some family competition fun party, look for ways to have fun and unwind during the holiday season.
The Christmas season is meant to be a time of joy and lots of happiness. A time of bonding with loved ones. No matter the frenzy around the season strive to maintain a healthy mindset. Don't be afraid to take a break from all the activities when you feel your mind is under attack..
