The Most Wonderful Time of Year – 2018 Version

By: Carol Blanchard, Master Wellness Volunteer

I woke up this morning with the refrain “the most wonderful time of year” going round and round in my mind for no apparent reason this morning. Just like a advertising slogan that won’t go away once it takes hold, this holiday message had me wondering if it was true or not.

I am a yoga and meditation teacher so I notice my thoughts. I notice them and notice if those thoughts are commanding my behavior, are moody, emotional, and critical or have a certain judgmental edge to them. As a person who is trained to notice and then take a different course of action other than the thought-message might be, I was amused by “the most wonderful time of the year.”

This is a good place to mention that end of year holidays are universally acknowledged for being just a little bit stressful for all of us. All these extra things to do, social engagements that throw us together with scary people and opportunities to overspend, eating way too many carbs and sugar, and slogging through thick lanes of traffic can add up to anything but wonderful. But wait, maybe it is up to me to make these weeks be wonderful!

Yes, this is the 2018 version of the familiar refrain. It is up to me and you to give ourselves the ongoing gift of making every day of our lives “the most wonderful”. So, just like writing up a gift list, I wrote up a plan to do just that. While I had fun making this list, use it only as a starting point for your own plan to make life wonderful for you.

Warm baths . Walks before work . Simple yoga stretches and breaths . Hot tea with honey or agave . A walk to Look at Lights . A nourishing new face cream . Being grateful for everything . Walks after work . Salad with cranberries and nuts . Volunteering . Bake or make your holiday Gifts . Go with the flow while in traffic . Cat nap . Thank someone . Send a handwritten card or two . Walk thru the mall . Try out a new meditation . Do “nothing” for five minutes . Enjoy a scented candle . Juice an orange into your water bottle . Fix something that is broken . Breathe . Music. Friends . REST and sleep.

I think you can see that this is just a beginning of gifting yourself and others. Do what it takes to make this the most wonderful time of year. Beginning with self-care and extending it to others. Choosing these wellness care ideas are either absolutely free or cost so little.

Have the best Holiday Season ever and thank you for reading my blog.
You and the staff at Travis County Agrilife Extension are such a gift for me!