Gift Yourself with Love

With the stress that this holiday season brings, we need to stop and give a little to ourselves too! The more you can take care of yourself at the emotional level, the more you will be able to "give" during this most precious heart-felt time of the year.

How do we gift ourselves with more love at a time when we are busy and desperately need it the most? It’s not difficult, and it doesn’t take extra time out of your schedule. It mainly involves your perspective, paying attention to your thoughts and just basically taking care of your emotional body. Let me give you some ideas that are easy and can make all the difference this holiday season!

Slow down your thoughts by NOT trying to be a super multi-tasker! There are many ways you can clean up the clutter going on in your head and these tips get you focused and relieves the stress.

Stay present in the task at hand.
Start creating a list as you think of things you need to buy or do. Keep the list handy so you can add to it as it comes to mind. This stops the flow of “I have to remember” thoughts and is a BIG stress reliever.
Be mindful as you drive places, either to work or to run errands. Allow your mind to be free during this time and only think about what you are doing! No thoughts of past, future or anything you need to do. You can have mindful moments while you eat too. This is a form of meditation and you may not find it easy but it will feel refreshing.
Try to meditate more often during the holiday season. This is the love your mind craves.

See the beauty before your eyes and develop an ongoing attitude of gratitude.

Bring more love into your heart by letting go of the anger. This is truly a gift for YOU. More love will come in as you forgive and let go of any anger you hold. Here are some suggestions of things you need to strongly consider releasing in your life.

Any political or media news or events that brings you to feelings of anger when there is nothing you can do about the situation. Let go of this and give it your love. Blessing these situations and letting go is the BEST thing you can do. Just stay away from the media if it is upsetting and don’t let it feed you negativity.
Relationship anger or hurt will draw you further away from self-love. Do not hold back emotions, but instead process them for your own sake and try very hard to let this go. Many times, it is these held emotions that make us physically ill. Gift yourself by forgiving others in your life!
Work related anger or being a disgruntled employee will eat you up over time and especially pull you away from all the joy during the holidays. If you are in this position, then it is imperative that this change. Perhaps your boss makes your life miserable, or it’s the job itself that gnaws on you every day. In this case, you MUST gain a new perspective. Yes, you can do this!

If you haven’t told your friends and family that you love them, or how they are an important part in your life lately, make a point this holiday season to open the heart and speak it!

Give more hugs! A hug is a wonderful warm gesture, and if you aren’t the “hugging” type, then give it a try and widen that personal bubble you’ve created.

Take a day or at least 4 hours to be with yourself if at all possible. Try to get someone to watch the little ones and enjoy YOU time. This doesn’t mean spending time shopping for others or doing for others. This means "you" time by sitting down and perhaps reading that book, drink some hot chocolate, go for a walk, get that soothing bath, be artistic or anything you love to do.

As you can see all of these ideas will bring more love into your life. These steps move you closer to self-love. Giving yourself the gift of self-love is what will make you powerful. When you fill yourself with love you automatically have less stress and peace. Self-love is what takes you from being weak and feeling like a victim, to being strong and having the courage to know you CAN make changes.

May you always live like it is Christmas in your heart. May you always give yourself the time and moments of love. The energy of love is what transforms, heals at all levels, and brings you the abundance of peace and joy in your heart.

If you find that this holiday season is more difficult and it’s hard to get on top of your emotional game, please consider my 32 minute guided meditation. I created this meditation for those having difficulty achieving a state of love and joy. It is a high-quality audio hosted by Vimeo! Click the picture below for more information and how to get it free!