Reconnecting with Yourself

During this holiday season, it's easy to get so caught up with the rush that you lose touch with what's going on inside, and focus on everything outside yourself!

I consciously try to spend some down time with myself during the holidays. Just sit and read with a cup of tea, get a massage, go for walks with my dog.

I limit my shopping to three trips for gifts, and try not to agonize too much.

This year I have made several gifts in my pottery class too! Makes life easier.

What do you do to reconnect with yourself?

During this holiday season, it's easy to get so caught up with the rush that you lose touch with what's going on inside, and focus on everything outside yourself!

I consciously try to spend some down time with myself during the holidays. Just sit and read with a cup of tea, get a massage, go for walks with my dog.

I limit my shopping to three trips for gifts, and try not to agonize too much.

This year I have made several gifts in my pottery class too! Makes life easier.

What do you do to reconnect with yourself?

Kat, I dont' reconnect so much as I deconnect from the "holiday season." Instead of just complaining about the crass commercialization, I asbstain from it. With maybe one or two exceptions (spouse plus an in-law), I refuse to buy Xmas gifts and expect to get none. It's my wife who has to take the initiative. I sign off on the cards and notes for whatever she buys.... and that's about the hardest work I do for the holidays.

Reconnecting? Hmmm, I suppose I just turn more introspective than ever. Bury my nose deeper in books. Right now I'm reading a masterpiece of World War I naval warfare between Great Britain and Imperial Germany.

Castles of Steel is the title. Been digesting it for close to a year now. Definitely not light coffee-table reading. Comprehensively researched with intensive detail. :eek:

It seems I can never read enough about leadership and crisis management...

Harrison,

You might like the author David Whyte.

Book: "Crossing the Unknown Sea"

I'm with Harrison. I don't get into the Xmas gift buying frenzy. In fact, Xmas to me is home and family and food. This is NOT my fav holiday. Halloween and Thanksgiving are. My family has never been into big gift giving, and have always kept it low key. The only part of Xmas that I adore is the music. This year I am into the Josh Groben, Noel CD. I will probably go shopping once with my Sons, but I don't buy much, and use it more of an excuse to spend time with them than buying gifts. But Xmas day and Xmas week, I will cook a big meal, xmas cookies and visit friends and family. And rest up from a busy year.

Odd because my career is in Direct Sales, and my business is all about selling for the Xmas season!

Cheers, Nandara

Kat, as you know the last few years have been an ongoing process of reconnecting with myself and sadly, the holidays feel like an intrusion on that, because despite the fact that my family of origin has had little to do with me the last 2 years, I will be expected to make the phone calls and buy the presents. My father gave away last years present, which was a set of books. He read them and enjoyed them, but then felt the need to tell me that he thought they were more suited to a younger person and he wouldn't read them again. What's that all about? He could have just quietly given them away. Anyway, not to hijack the thread with a rant, but the holidays are a pain.

YM keeps telling me he keeps running into Santa and this year he's gonna "kick my butt" with presents. That's great, I'm flattered, but it turns this into something stressful, because I have a harder time buying for him. I hate having him know exactly what he's getting, but everything I have bought are things he has requested because he has such specialized wants (e.g. action figures from particular series.)

How am I going to take care of myself? I'm thinking about decorating my tree in Halloween lights!:happy0188:

Harrison,

You might like the author David Whyte.

Book: "Crossing the Unknown Sea"


Thanks for that tip! ;)

Kat, I dont' reconnect so much as I deconnect from the "holiday season." Instead of just complaining about the crass commercialization, I asbstain from it. With maybe one or two exceptions (spouse plus an in-law), I refuse to buy Xmas gifts and expect to get none. It's my wife who has to take the initiative. I sign off on the cards and notes for whatever she buys.... and that's about the hardest work I do for the holidays.

Reconnecting? Hmmm, I suppose I just turn more introspective than ever. Bury my nose deeper in books. Right now I'm reading a masterpiece of World War I naval warfare between Great Britain and Imperial Germany.

Castles of Steel is the title. Been digesting it for close to a year now. Definitely not light coffee-table reading. Comprehensively researched with intensive detail. :eek:

It seems I can never read enough about leadership and crisis management...

One Shot, One Kill. True stories of US Snipers in various conflicts, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Beirut just to name a few.

Carlos Hath**** is teh man.

Also, 15 Months in SOG: A Warrior's Tour

It's written by Retired Green Beret Colonel Thom Nicholson. It's about a true accout of his 15 months of assignment to a CIA ran operation known as MAC-SOG (Military Assistance Command - Studies and Observations Group). He was assigned to I-Corps at Da Nang at MAC-SOGs CCN (Command Central North).

Thanks, CG!! :cool:

My boyfriend and I are not Christmas types, I guess mostly because we are atheists. We will send out a few presents to our families in the next couple of weeks and then cook a great meal on the 25th. No mall visits for us. And no tree or lights for us. Our house will be a haven from all the Christmas craziness outside. Already, when I go to the post office for my eBay sales, there are tons of people in line mailing their gifts. Many neighbors have outside lights, so I get to enjoy theirs without the fuss and the added electric bill.

I am one of those connected people..lol

I absolutely love Christmas. I remember the reason for the season.

I realize it's commercialized and people in the malls/stores have that look like they've baptised in pickle juice and are stressed........

but, that's not me. Jerm and I go to the malls and he stands with me at the Santa workshops and we enjoy watching the children interact with Santa.....its really a part of Christams, the innocence and belief of the children.......

I don't expect to receive, I enjoy giving......especially to our daughter.....some christmas' are a little harder financially, but she says, "oh mom, you always make the best Christmas for me"........and that's what its all about, to be appreciated and loved for the smallest of gifts to the gratitude for the largest of wants.......

The trees, the lights, the time together with family and friends, the love......

Christmas is my favorite time of the year!!!

love,
sora

I do not care if it is called comercialization. I love buying gifts, and getting gifts. It does not have to be something expensive, but it must be something that the recepient can use and enjoy.

I do not go crazy on decorations but the Nativity Scene is a MUST.

I also increase the family activities, more outings, and lunches with family and friends. Christmas here is the end of rainy season so it is nice to go out and know you wont get rained on.

I am only buying a few gifts this year......can't stand the hoopla, etc...
My daughter, am sure, just wants money.....I want to get her a Violin....so I don't know about her yet!
My man's two grand daughters, and something for him.
I will probably make something for my sister and Zenda.....that's it.
Everyday around my house is a reconnection for me.....I make sure to set up my life that way.
I have my nest and the ever growing family of critters and I wake up every morning to them and a nice cup of coffee and their quiet breathing and chatter.
A nice massage is a great thing too.....thanks for reminding me Kat!
Blessings, TD

Not crazy about the Christmas season, either. (My favorite commonly celebrated holidays are also Halloween and Thanksgiving) I love celebrating the winter solstice, but all the crazy commercialization drives me nuts. I also cannot stand overplayed Christmas music! Plus to make it worse, every year we have LESS money this time of year, so buying gifts is even more stressful. We hold it down to the kids and grandkids, but that is still expensive when my husband's checks drop to almost nothing because he is commission only pay and everyone stops working on their cars unless something breaks.:(


But, that said, we still really enjoy seeing family, and love watching the grandkids open presents, and I enjoy seeing all the decorations, especially the lights!

I just love the time off from work. My company gives everyone 10 days off paid for a holiday gift.

I'm anti-Christmas too. Expectations are too high and people always end up feeling let down. It's always been a tough time for my family and I--we fight and I just won't put myself in that situation anymore. I hate the commercialism, so anyone who gets a gift from me will get a homemade craft... Only exception to that is Chris's parents who probably wouldn't appreciate my crappy sewing!!!

Luckily I'll be driving back to Seattle on the 25th to work, and so I don't "have to" celebrate this year! I don't mean to be a grinch, but I really don't enjoy it. Thanksgiving, now THERE's a holiday with no expectations, and I love it :)

Thanksgiving, now THERE's a holiday with no expectations, and I love it :)
No expectations except huge amounts of FOOD!!! LOL. :D

Exactly!!!

I've got one niece and about 100 second cousins who are between baby age and 12. I'm going to have a blast this Christmas dressing up in a Santa suit and trying to fool 'em. So I expect to have lots of fun at that.

If I spent Christmas with my parents, it'd be nice for about 1 hour, then all down hill and cranky from there.

However, I have a solution for that. I spend an hour with my parents, then go visit my sister for an hour, then each of my cousins for an hour each. And of course all the kids will have a blast, especially since I'll be wearing a Santa suit. Since when does Santa drive a yellow Jeep? ;) Come on kids, the reindeer got tired.

Christmas used to suck for me to, when I spent the entire day with my parents. It probably sucked for them too. We're a somewhat dysfunctional family, as apparently many are. My parents get along much better by themselves with both me and my sister absent. I'm not even going to try and figure out why.

What I did figure out is that we can have a great time for 1 hour and then I'm leaving while everything is still pleasant. Then I'm going to visit as much of my extended family as I can the rest of the day. I get along great with my extended family and I could stay with any of them all day, but it's more fun to visit each for 1 or 2 hours and then go to the next.

My little 2nd cousin's get so excited when I arrive that they start jumping up and down and screaming like groupies at a rock star. Uncle Chuckie's here!!! Uncle Chuckie's here!!!" and so on. And that's normally. I can't wait to see what they do when I'm in a Santa suit.

Christmas, like any holiday, it what you make of it, IMO. If you don't enjoy that much time with your immediate family, then try you extended family, or try each of them for an hour or two each, or try friends, or any combination.

My Christmases used to suck so badly for me. Not anymore. Starting a few years ago I learned what works for me.

Great Post Wesley, thank you :)