3 Tips for a Guilt-Free Thanksgiving
Well, I’m not too sure where 2007 went, but the holidays are already upon us. Can you believe it?
The holidays are a time of the year, as you know, that bring up strong emotions. There’s the joy and the excitement of seeing loved ones and celebrating, and there’s also the added stress.
Ram Das, an American spiritual teacher says, “If you think you are enlightened, just go spend a week with your family.”
There’s something about family time that can just trigger the most ridiculous things inside us. And as women, we are complex and deep, so we feel things on a lot of levels. Sometimes those feelings contradict each other. Like you might be really excited to see your favorite Aunt Helen, but dreading seeing Uncle George who you know is going to pick on you for your career choices.
I want to take a moment to give you 3 tips that might come in handy for you during this next week of Thanksgiving. You might not need them. And you just might. Either way, they are here to support you.
First, let’s talk about food.
Ah yes, the agonies and ecstasies of holiday food!
TIP #1 –
Let yourself off the perfection hook right now.
Whether you are preparing the meal, or just enjoying it, we often go into Thanksgiving with plans of perfection. The perfect turkey. The perfect outfit. The perfect decorations. The perfect plan to not eat so much this year.
Well, perfection is a set-up for guilt. Because if you plan for perfection, anything less just looks like ruin.
But this is life! Life is messy sometimes. Perfection is a myth, and a very bad one. So instead of perfection, plan to have fun.
Fun? I really mean it. Keep asking yourself, how can I make this fun?
Maybe you put on your favorite music while you are cooking. Maybe you go for a walk while the turkey is in the oven. Maybe you let an old Frank Sinatra movie play while you get dressed.
And when you sit down to eat. Give yourself permission to genuinely enjoy your meal.
Now, here’s a little weight management tip. Statistics show that when people eat together, they tend to eat about 20% more than they would if they were alone. Part of that reason, is that it is rude to take plates away from the table while others are still eating. So if you finish first, you are very tempted to keep eating, even if you aren’t hungry.
Ok, so the best thing to do here is EAT SLOWLY. Really enjoy each bite of your food. Two things to your benefit happen if you do this. One, you will know when you are full before you’re stuffed. Two, you will finish last, so you wont be tempted to pile another plate of food in front of you while others are still eating.
Also, plan an after meal walk. Digestion is stimulated by walking. You’ll be surprised how great you will feel if you just take a quick walk after dinner. You can make it a family tradition.
TIP #2
Practice appreciation.
This is a really cool thing I’ve learned. If you are worried about what others are going to think of you, or how they are going to judge you, take the focus off yourself by appreciating what’s going right. It doesn’t matter if ten-thousand things are going wrong, if you focus on what’s right, you will feel secure and grounded in the midst of any chaos.
Relatives push our buttons. That’s what they are designed to do. Whenever I see my extended family, I’m always concerned what they might think of me, because I lead a very untraditional life here in California. I don’t want to be judged just because I’m a little kooky.
So this year, I decided to focus on my nephews. I have the coolest nephews in the world. They are about eight and ten years old. And I found them the coolest book ever, that we can all play with, (which you must run out an buy if you have boys), called The Dangerous Book for Boys. It’s full of stuff like how to play stickball, and who the most famous pirates are, and facts about the solar system.
Suddenly I don’t care what the adults might think of me, because I have shifted my focus to what I can appreciate.
TIP# 3
Write a gratitude list.
There’s nothing better to put you in the right mood for this season, than to write a gratitude list. Write it tonight, and stick it in your purse for the days ahead.
It’s really easy to get caught up in the stress of what there is to do, because it’s a lot! But the reason we go to all this trouble, is for those we love.
Sometimes there’s a lot of obligation attached, and resentment. If that comes up for you, just breathe, and allow those feelings to pass through you. Then head for your purse and take out the list.
Emotions are powerful. When we feel triggered, it’s really hard to remember what we are grateful for. That’s why you make a list when you are having a good day, and you put it in your purse for when you need it. I promise you, it will pull you through.
Lastly, I just invite you to create an intention for your holiday season this year. What do you most want to create and experience? Maybe there’s a quality you would like to invite into your heart at this time.
For me, my intention this holiday season is connection. I want to feel connected to others, and spread the joy, whether it’s my family, or the kid bagging my groceries at the market.
Choose something that nurtures your heart.
Be gentle with yourself. Be forgiving. Let yourself off the hook, ok?
I want you to have a beautiful, relaxing, and peaceful holiday, full of love and happiness. That is my wish for you.
So much love.
Your friend,
Kaia
www.TheBeautyPromise.com
Tags: Beauty, holiday, thanksgiving, tips
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