Your body is keeping you alive without you even knowing it. Our breath is the very essence of our life force. Without it we’d die.

How often do you give it any thought? 

On that note, here in the US we’re in the thick of holiday festivities…and I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who catches herself feeling stressed.

Since I know that this season can be really stressful, I’d like to offer some guidance.

One of the things I’ve learned is that it is absolutely VITAL in those moments to stop and breathe.

Pay attention to your breathing. Slow it down. Close your eyes; put your hand on your heart. Take a few minutes to tune into your body.

Stay present with your breath until you’ve calmed down a bit. A simple four-count inhale, four-count exhale five times is all you need to recenter yourself, as long as you lean into it and allow yourself the gift of that presence.

The first time I went to Target after the Covid restrictions started to ease up, I had a major panic attack in the parking lot while I was pushing the cart to my car. (Thankfully it was after the shopping was done and not during.)

This is why most of the time I use the amazing invention of driving up to the store and picking up my order now. (The only one I typically go into is Trader Joe’s because TJs doesn’t offer a pick up service yet.)

I mention this because there’s always a way. There’s always a solution, even if it isn’t one that you like or agree with or think is possible. 

And once I had my second panic attack that same week in a different parking lot, I decided to figure out a way to avoid a third. So I did.

You can have things delivered. You can shop in the early morning hours on Tuesdays. And so on.

But many of us buy into the idea that there’s nothing we can do, so we freak out instead. We get overwhelmed by the pressure put on us (which is mostly what we put on ourselves) and panic. Anxiety, stress, short-temperedness is often our default during these festive times.

And that truly sucks. What about enjoying it? How about you take a minute to breathe and be present? 

Staying present is a skill that goes hand in hand with practicing gratitude. It takes effort to be consistent with it, because we’re so invested in the reality that we’ve allowed to happen around us rather than the one that we can orchestrate ourselves.

Yes, I’m aware that we can’t control what others do or how they behave. What we can control, however,  is our reactions to all of that. People are gonna people, after all.

So instead of falling into the anxiety spiral, try sitting down for a minute. Focus your attention on something that makes you feel joy or peace, which are supposed to be the meaning of this season.

I use my Christmas tree because I just love it. It doesn’t look like it belongs in a magazine or anything, but it’s really special to my family and me.

It’s an homage to my family history. There are Peanuts ornaments on my tree that my mom got for me when I was obsessed with Snoopy as a little girl; a couple that my husband made when he was a kid; music-themed Hallmark ones that I started collecting as far back as my first year of college. 

There’s a vast collection of Disney ornaments that I started the year Declan was born; handmade ones that the boys made throughout their preschool and elementary school years; personalized ornaments gifted to us from our favorite Aunt, who left this realm almost two years ago.

My tree makes me smile just as much as it makes me tear up, but most of all it brings me into a state of presence and gratitude every time I take a few minutes to appreciate it.

In those few focused minutes that you give yourself, breathe in and out slowly and purposefully. Notice your natural ability to stay alive, because being able to breathe is the greatest gift and we get that from the moment we’re born into this world.

I’m saying this with absolutely no shame or judgment, because I lived this way for years: So many people allow themselves to get pulled through life more by obligation than by what they want for themselves, then wonder why they’re so miserable most of the time. 

That’s a really stressful way to live, and it doesn’t have to be that way. Learning new techniques like a simple breathing/grounding exercise (grounding in this instance means reconnecting to the present moment) can ease some of the anxiety you’re feeling. 

But don’t stop there! There’s soooo much more that you can learn to make yourself actively love your life rather than plod through it. That’s what I teach. I’m still offering one-on-one coaching session packages. You can book me today by emailing me at dana@revolution-within.com.

Until next time - Happy Holidays! 

Love and hugs,

Dana