Fed- Up with old family triggers? Frustrated with the way your repeat the old stuff even in light of the keen awareness that you are “doing it” yet again? Stuffing yourself instead of the stockings with holiday cookies simply to insulate yourself from the familiar chaos? Me, too! So, that tells us that awareness is NOT enough. Of course, baking chocolate peppermint thumb print cookies for a cookie exchange puts temptation directly under our nose. Still we have a choice. The time is NOW to practice our new found freedom of choice to choose those life giving foods that we won’t have to detox from after the Holidays. So here are 3 simple practices that I do when the familial gets a bit TOO much & I reach for every ginger bread man I can find & bite his head off!
1. STEP OUT TO STEP IN: Put your coat on, leave everyone behind, yes, everyone. Don’t tell them where you are going. Simply say I’ll be back in a few- if someone notices you leaving- otherwise, simply slip out & you will be back before anyone notices. No matter the weather- take a brisk walk around the block to clear your head & take a deep breath. This works- try it, again & again.
2. SIT & SAVOR: If one bite of sugar leads you to the next & the next- then wait until the end of the day- having set aside one small something you can savor, a cup of coco; that to-die-for chocolate truffle…whatever you would MOST enjoy. Make it well worth the wait. Then take a few moments to SIT & SAVOR your Holiday treat. Mindfully take a tiny bite & actually taste it. Many of us eat more than enough because we missed actually tasting the 1st, 2nd or 3rd chocolate covered peanut butter ball.
3. LAUGH AT YOURSELF: Instead of beating yourself up for getting caught in the same old family funk- laugh it off- REALLY! This works! It is natural to want to insulate ourselves from past pains by over consuming something or other. However, when we lighten up on ourselves it takes the sting out of the years of ouchs & maybe, just maybe, we can simply let go & enjoy the nuttiness of what is.
