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3 Ways to Find Your Calm in the Chaos of the Holidays

12/02/2021

PART 1 By Beth Pfitzenmaier, MS, LCAS, RYT-200

The holiday season brings up a wide range of feelings that could include joy, stress, grief, anxiety, excitement, and/or hope. Whether you love this time of year or dread it, we can all relate to getting swept up in the chaos, getting pulled in lots of directions, and needing some extra self-care.  

These three exercises can help move you towards your calm, clear center and to a place of ease and balance. 

As you experiment with these 3 exercises, it may be helpful to check in with yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually prior to doing the exercise and again after you’ve done it for a few minutes. This will give you a clear sense of what stayed the same and what changed as a direct result from your choice to do something different. 

We will share Part 2 next week where you will be guided to take your new sense of calm, centered, clear focus and put it into action. 

See if you can observe, notice, or be curious from a place of gentleness and kindness as opposed to expectation or judgment.  

When you “check in with yourself,” it’s important to note that there are a few ways to do this:

These three exercises can help move you towards your calm, clear center and to a place of ease and balance. 

You are invited to experiment with these, modify or adjust and find what works for you. Try these out in different situations to find what feels the most beneficial.  

1 Practice Steady Breathing 

2 Experiment with Self-Holding  

If you’re in public and feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious you can practice self-holding discreetly by placing one hand on your heart or belly.

3 Play with Grounding 

When caught up in the swirl or chaos of big feelings, expectations, or events take a few moments to be still and quiet. Think of it like allowing the snow to settle in the snow globe. 

More Resources

Look for Part 2 next week, where you will be guided to take your new sense of calm, centered, clear focus and put it into action. 

To learn more about breathing exercises, check out this blog.  Learn more about SouthLight’s Adult Outpatient Services here. Visit our Resources page for mental health and substance use resources.

About Beth:  

I value authenticity, courage, growth, and connection. I am the Program Director of the Adult Outpatient Services and use my values on a daily basis as I work alongside others to ensure we are providing the best care possible. I recently completed yoga teacher training and am now a certified yoga teacher. I look forward to being able to more fully incorporate yoga into my work with the people I serve.