Well friends, it’s that time of year again. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that I was writing about having a more mindful Holiday season in this post and this post.

But I think being more mindful around the holiday season is always worth revisiting. Especially in the face of all the things you’re going to be told that you need to buy in order to make this holiday season the best one ever!

And I’m definitely not saying that you shouldn’t buy anything…I’ll be picking up a few things for our family…but it’s important to go into the whole holiday process with a plan, or else it could get ugly, if you know what I mean!

With the goal of a plan in mind, I’ve put together a list of ways to have a more mindful holiday season that I hope you find useful.

1. Make a list of the things you love most about the holidays. Then focus on the items on this list and ignore all the other holiday associated activities. Would you rather stay home and watch a holiday movie instead of going to a party? Then do that!

If you spend all of your time doing all of the holiday activities that you don’t enjoy, you won’t have the time to truly enjoy the ones that you do love.

2. But, if you are heading out to a few holiday events over the next month, you may get the notion that you need to go shopping for new clothes. I have a different idea…shop your closet instead!

Take inventory of all of the holiday appropriate attire that you have at you fingertips. That dress that you’ve been holding onto for a special occasion. That pretty skirt that you love to wear that would look so amazing with a cozy sweater and boots. A great blazer, pretty tank and wide leg pants.

The possibilities are endless. If you need a little inspiration, check out my Pinterest page. You can also read this post on how I use Pinterest to get outfit inspiration.

3. Take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the holiday season. Be present and enjoy the moment. Enjoy a warm mug of hot chocolate by the fireplace. Blast those Christmas carols and decorate the tree on your day off. Make snow angels after a snowstorm. Don’t let the little things pass you by. A lot of the time, its the simple things that bring the most joy.

4. Speaking of being present, the holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and family members. So put the phone away. Instagram and Facebook, and all of the other social media apps, will still be there after you’ve had a chance to find out about your cousin’s first semester at university or to hear about your friend’s new job.

5. Be conscientious in your gift giving. Don’t buy something for somebody just because you’re supposed to. Be mindful about what would add value to somebody’s life, not more clutter. And if you’re not sure, I see no problem in asking them for an idea. My husband and I exchange a few gifts at Christmas, but not before giving each other a little wish list to work with.

6. Gift giving doesn’t have to mean a physical gift. A lot of people would just love the gift of your time, or help. Why not gift somebody close to you an uninterrupted dinner together? Or maybe there’s a friend or family member who could use a day or evening of babysitting.

7. Don’t be afraid to tell your loved ones that you don’t want any gifts this year, if that’s how you feel. I don’t receive gifts outside of my immediate family. Firstly, I don’t want them to feel financially obligated to give me a gift. Secondly, I live far away from family and I fear they wouldn’t know me well enough to gift me something truly meaningful that wouldn’t get reneged to the junk drawer.

I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a scrooge or ungrateful but I really wish that society would move away from the expectation that we need to give so many presents during the holidays. It would be great for people’s finances and the planet!

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I hope you enjoyed these 7 ways to have a more mindful holiday season this year. If you have any other mindful holiday tips, I’d love it if you shared them below.

x Gillian

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