Whether or not you welcome the holidays, the extra stress of this time can be crazy-making, indeed tailor-made to defocus us with deadlines, entertaining, shopping, traffic . . . need I say more?  It need not be that way though, if we remember to check in with ourselves, focus, and be present for the gifts of the moment as they come our way. Although this is easier said than done, there are several sanity-preserving tools that can easily be employed, no matter where you are.

The other day I found myself stuck in stop-and-go traffic on the highway.  Suddenly I noticed that I had so much anxiety that I was gripping the steering wheel for all that it was worth.  I felt that I just had to be ready to jump into a faster lane, or avoid an accident, at any moment.  I was so focused on what might happen, I lost touch with being in “the now.”

My poor sympathetic nervous system was actually so taxed, I was holding my muscles tight enough to create pain.  Not only that, I also actually was unaware of the beauty that was happening directly in front, behind, and to the sides of me, even on the highway.

Fortunately, I caught myself and remembered that I did not have to live in that state of hyper-focus.  I used Hook-ups™, one of the BrainGym™ tools that I teach, to escape the fight-or-flight state of being. I relaxed into an acceptance of knowing that eventually we would start moving again and, in the meantime, it wouldn’t do any good to be anxious or angry about a situation over which I had no control.

My nervous system relaxed, I loosened my grip and settled in to the present moment.  This allowed me to avoid the backlash of creating soreness and pain in my muscles later on, and gave me the chance to look around at the scenery that I often take no notice of.

I noticed beautiful vineyards that were vibrantly changing colors, Canadian geese traversing the sky overhead, and a spectacular sunset in the making. Now that is what I call the gifts of the season!  And they were free!

Tip of the Month:

To soothe anxiety, try doing Hook-ups™.  There are two parts to this simple technique:

1) Cross your ankles and cross arms in front of your chest, so that each hand is touching the opposite shoulder lightly.  No brownie points for doing this as hard as you can.  Hold these acupressure points as you touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.

2) Place your feet flat on the floor, really connecting with the sensation of the soles in your shoes.  Place your fingertips gently together as if you were holding an invisible ball. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Now hold these points and breathe deeply.

The process of Hook-ups™ actually uses both parts, sequentially. Depending on your situation, you may choose to do one or both. If you are stuck in the midst of traffic, as I was, you can just do part two.

Hold the points until you feel the breath ease and your anxiety calm down. The sympathetic nervous system will relax, allowing you to have a different experience with whatever is truly happening in the moment.

Stay tuned for upcoming tips and tools that can profoundly change the experience of being present in the beautiful world that we live in, even when dealing with chaos.

Wishing you the best the season has to offer,

Key Points:

• Have fun! Gift Wrapping is a wonderful way to express your creativity.
• Set the mood with music - relaxing or upbeat, meditative or playful.
• Spreading the materials out can inspire you and get the creative juices flowing.

Tips:

• Match paper and ribbon.  Look For subtle background colors on the paper that can be high lighted by using the same color ribbon.
• Consider using contrasting colors that look good to your eye.
• Pay attention to inside - once the package is open - how will it look inside?
• Matching the color of tissue to the gift-wrap can highlight the gift inside.  Even a simple gift that is beautifully wrapped feels like a treasure.
• When wrapping a box (or anything with sharp edges) it is a good idea to wrap the box with tissue first.  This will protect the wrapping paper from tearing and you can use the tissue to continue a theme.  For example, angel tissue paper with angel wrapping paper.  Or, colored tissue that brings out a color used with the wrapping paper.
• When using metallic paper, consider hiding the tape by rolling it and making it double sided (or used double sided tape).  Satin finish tape is best.
• Mix your media.  For example, if wrapping several gifts for a household, consider wrapping some in tissue or using gift bags or tins to add variety.
• Sticking with a color or texture theme can also be very attractive, i.e., jewel toned metallic paper with elegant ribbon in several shades looks beautiful resting together under a tree.

Money Saving Ideas:

• Use the Christmas or Holiday decorated paper and gift bags from the department stores for wrapping paper. Often department stores and other shops have decorated bags to put your packages in.  Some are very nice and can be great for wrapping gifts.
• If the store offers complimentary gift-wrap ask for the paper and ribbon and tissue so that you can wrap it creatively at home.  You can do this even if the item you purchased is not something you intend to wrap.  You may choose to use the materials for something else.  As a customer you are entitled to the service and it is your choice how you want to use it.
• There are many playful ways to wrap gifts that are unusual and fun to receive.  People enjoy gifts that have been creatively wrapped, e.g., a brown paper bag turned inside out; textured ribbon; colored with crayons…
• Eco choices: pine branches; dried flowers and berries, raffia ribbon, recycled materials…
• Save beautiful ribbon and special paper from gifts you have received, white tissue that comes with clothing, etc.  Gently crumpled white tissue can become attractive filler for a deep box, especially when combined with shredded paper filler or other colored paper.
• Add some pizazz to shredded paper by adding some curled ribbon.
• Purchase holiday materials on sale.  Elegant ribbon, tissue, and paper are often reasonably priced after the holidays are over.  Limit yourself to a few nice items that won’t take up a lot of room.

Happy Holidays, and Blessings to all