It’s that time of year again. We can hardly wait for the holiday season filled with shopping, eating, meeting, and greeting. As you plan for your time off, I hope you have already made an appointment with your counselor or therapist well in advance of all the hustle and bustle. After all, what good are presents without presence? The holiday season is the best time of year to make time for yourself so that you can be available to others. I also believe it is crucial to appear physically, mentally, and emotionally as yourself without any cover-up. No packaging necessary, no bows, no wrapping paper, no gift bags, NO PRESENT will serve you better than your presence. I want to help you realize what it takes for you to exist in a place comfortably over this Christmas season by maintaining self-care.
Presence is your attentiveness and intentional engagement to every task in every moment. More than just paying attention, whatever you are thinking, feeling, and doing requires a full instant account of the following: does it matter to me even when I consider the immediate cost and long-term consequences. As easy as it is to get caught up in the energy and anxiety of shopping, wrapping, coming and going, there must be a boundary set up on purpose between the presents and your presence. Managing your distractions helps you become focused on the current moment, and you gain simplicity, peace, and awareness. What exactly are these presents? It might be hard to believe that presents could do any harm. Just to make it clear, presents as we know them are non-threatening. However, the overwhelming meaning we make of getting and giving presents can be hurtful in a way. Presents at times can have incredible energy and strength. Consider also, presents come in many different shapes and sizes: gift-wrapped boxes, stress, triggers, food, spending money, depression, grief, people, partying, and loneliness under the guise of holiday cheer.
It would be so much better if you had presence and lived fully during the holidays and beyond. How about preparing for your own presence as your New Year’s goal? It is not enough to simply remove or deny the presents, as distracting as they are from in front of you. You must act by improving moments and getting support to safely replace the nagging distractors. The bottom line is your presence, and presents cannot co-exist. Your therapist has readily available information on: setting boundaries, getting active, seeking volunteer opportunities, defining your source of strength, improving deprived thinking, anger management, grief and loss support. Reach out today, get the support you need to improve your presence for now and later! Presence is what you need to maintain your self-care during the holiday season. You deserve to live well and enjoy your own presence. You are so loved!
