It’s the happiest time of the year, but it can also quickly become the busiest! Funny how you start every holiday season with plans to really enjoy this season for it to quickly be overturned by endless activities and commitments.
But this year, we want to help you break that, to let go of schedule shaming and step into living your more joyful Christmas yet. To help you live the Nourished Holiday you’ve only dreamed about. Over the next 25 days we’ll give you the tips and action you can take to create a balanced holiday that is the perfect mix of rest and relaxation with connection and excitement.
Don’t forget to show us how you’re living a Nourished Holiday and following along with us in a commitment to ourselves to do less and enjoy more. Find us over on Instagram and Facebook and tag us at @nourishedplanner and #nourishedholiday as you complete the prompts.
We’ll be giving away 2018 Nourished Planners to selected winners who commit to making this a Nourished Holiday!
Week One
Friday, December 1st | Do Less Enjoy More
We all agree, it’s the greatest time of the year. But there is no denying it is also one of the busiest. With parties and commitments to attend, plus Santa’s to-do list to be made, your calendar can really start to pack it on, taking you away from the little joys that are the real reason for the season.
That’s where creating intentions comes in. Defining what you want your holiday season to look and feel like are the base of these intentions. They’re the guide to help turn your day dream holiday into reality. Intentions shouldn’t be more plans, or challenges, or extra to-do’s adding to the feelings of overwhelm to complete, but simply a baseline to judge your actions and commitments with, and defining what you want your holiday season to become. Intentions help break the busy, put an end to the guilt of schedule shaming, and allow you to really step into the holiday you’ve always dreamed of. To do less and enjoy more this season.
- Take time today to write your intentions for the holiday season.
- Aim for at least 2-3 intentions and make them easy to complete.
- Then, keep these intentions within sight and remind yourself of them daily, because it’s time to let your merry merry fly.
Saturday, December 2nd | Create a Slow Morning
Today’s gift of nourishment is to take it easy this morning. Can you imagine the decadence of a morning where you don’t set your alarm and wake up on you own, pour yourself a warm drink and grab a book to read under a blanket by the fire? Sounds dreamy doesn’t it? We know the holidays make it seem like we’ll never get it all done, but part of enjoying more means doing less. And it starts with how you begin your day. We think that creating your own slow mornings once a week could be reason enough to make this holiday season one you’ll never forget.
Give yourself that gift today, the gift of easing into your day and setting it up for one filled with calm and joy.
Sunday, December 3rd | Log Off
Today’s gift of nourishment is to log off. One of the perks of the internet is you can get anything you want or need at our fingertips. The downside is you can get anything you want or need, always be available and lose yourself down the www rabbit hole with that same click of the button. With every notification ‘ding’ comes the continuous reminder of outside obligations and distractions.
This holiday season, take one full day to log off. Yep. Turn it all off. Stash your phone away, turn off your desktop notifications, and instead of living your life by immediately responding to email or lurking on other’s social updates, make this a day to create your own memories instead of trying to live through others. Nothing is as cleansing than disconnect and reboot. So instead of logging on, make this day the day to get out and live, because as we all know, work and Instagram updates will still be there tomorrow.
Monday, December 4th | Let Go Of Perfection
Today’s gift of nourishment is giving yourself permission to go just half way. We all have a lot of plans this time of the year and there’s so much to get done! But it seems that there’s never enough time to get it all done, let alone get it done to Martha Stewart’s standards. Or your own.
This holiday, make it easier on yourself and let go of perfection. Know it’s okay if you didn’t mail out the Christmas cards or get all the lights up on the house. Just let it go, and instead spend time connecting instead of perfecting.
Tuesday, December 5th | Share
Today’s gift of nourishment is to share. We know first hand how easy it is to get stuck in your daily routine, focusing so intently on the list of things spinning about in your head you don’t even realizing what’s going on in life around you. It really can become totally self absorbing.
Today, get out of your head and put the focus on someone else by sharing with others. Think about one way to share something with someone today, something as simple as:
- Look up and smile at 10 people as you push your cart through the grocery store.
- Sort through your clothes and donate whatever doesn’t fit, doesn’t feel good or you simply don’t ever wear.
- Invite a co-worker to lunch and pick up the tab.
- Make it a day of compliments by making others feel good too.
Simple acts like these will fill you up and you’ll quickly discover just as much joy as the person on the receiving end.
Wednesday, December 6th | Listen
Today’s gift of nourishment is listening. The holidays may be the busiest and the noisiest season all year. Not that we mind jamming out to some upbeat Christmas tunes, but noise outside of that, the busy noise and nonstop circles your mind twirls this time of the year can be exhausting mentally and emotionally.
Take time today to stop and listen to yourself. Create space to clear your mind, listen to your body, and then feed its needs.
Thursday, December 7th | Be Present
The best gift you can give is the gift of your presence. No matter where life has you whether that be hustling at work or relaxing at home with your family, take time to shut it off, put it down and just be present. Take time today to do whatever your loved ones are asking you to do. Maybe that’s a quick board game, some homemade cookie making with your kids or a slow night of Netflix on the couch. The work will always be there but this moment won’t. Cherish it.
Week Two
Friday, December 8th | Celebrate
Today’s gift of nourishment is a celebration. Celebrate by living in the moment and really embrace your inner slacker. What? Everything doesn’t have to perfect? NO! Let go of perfection, put an end to schedule shaming, and live up only those things that really bring you joy. ‘Tis the season to celebrate and make memories. Tonight, invite a few people over for a bottle of wine and snacks from the grocery store salad bar, order a pizza and start a game of Citizens Against Humanity. Celebrating the season doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done.
Saturday, December 9th | Create Balance
Phoebe Lapine says it best, “Balance is not a location with exact coordinates.” Balance is as simple as feeling content with exactly where you are and living present there. Whatever life has in store for you today, be present, be honest, and create the balance you need. That could mean an early bedtime, an extra cookie snatched while baking, or a few extra minutes {or hours} to browse the stores and simply wander with someone you love. Remember, balance means living in peace and harmony so do whatever makes you feel that today.
Sunday, December 10th | Log Off
It’s that time again, time to shut it down, put it away and let it go. Monday morning is right around the corner and the work week will once again begin. So take time today to make the most of creating memories that will last. Check out your local ice skating rink, grab a sled and head to the hills, or make some homemade hot chocolate and snuggle up for a Holiday movie marathon. Today, do anything that makes your heart happy, and nothing more.
Monday, December 11th | Simplify
Today’s gift of nourishment is simplification. Making fewer decisions every day opens our mind to more creativity and space just to be. Take time to streamline things in your life that bring you stress, especially this time of the year. That may mean curating your holiday wardrobe to things you only love and feel good in. Or streamlining your meals to easy to prepare foods that leave you feeling good while filling you up. Even better, don’t over do it when it comes to gift shopping. Instead, give the gift of an experience instead, because being present with the ones you love is the simplest and most precious gift of all.
Tuesday, December 12th | Create
The holidays are the perfect time for getting creative, especially when we can let go of perfection and create just for fun. Whether there’s a Pinterest project you’ve been wanting to try, or you cookie recipe you’ve been dying to bake, take today to make them not because you have to, but because you want to. You don’t always need a reason to get creative. The joy and release that comes from creating is reason enough.
Wednesday, December 13th | Practice Gratitude
Today’s gift of nourishment is gratitude. As the quote says, “It’s not the happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy.” Today, take the time to cherish all the things in life that bring you joy. Start a running list of what those things are, or write a note or text to those you love and be verbal about your gratitude. Because showing gratitude with love is really what the season is all about.
Thursday, December 14th | Connect
Funny how busyness and overbooked schedules can prevent us from getting together with the ones who bring us the most joy. Today, give yourself the gift of connection. Clear your schedule (or at least make a little room) to connect with someone you love. Schedule a holiday manicure with your best friend. Surprise your child at school and eat lunch together. Or make a reservation at your favorite restaurant for you and your partner to reconnect. Find one way to connect with someone you love today.
Week Three
Friday, December 15th | Rejuvenate
The last thing you want is to hit this point in the season and simply want it just to be over. This is when things are just getting good so to make sure you are paying full attention to your soul and emotions even taking time to remove yourself. Yes, today’s gift of nourishment is the gift of rejuvenation. Whether that’s a quick 30-minute sauna session, a hike with just your pup or a lunch date with yourself, find space to just be, regroup and re-center.
Saturday, December 16th | Practice Self Care
Have you forgotten about yourself? You can rest as soon as you get everything done. But can you really wait? Today we give you the gift of self-care. Because the only way you’ll really be able to give the gift of your presence is if you fill yourself up first. Stop. Listen to your body. What is it that YOU need? An afternoon nap? A morning bath soaking in your favorite bath salts? Or a morning at your coffee shop sipping on your favorite drink while reading your favorite book. Find something that fills you up and gift yourself that gift today.
Sunday, December 17th | Log Off
Today’s gift of nourishment is once again the gift of logging off. Sunday is your day to turn it off, put it away, and shut it down. Instead, get out and live and experience the real wonder of the season. Pick up tickets to your local theater, decorate Christmas cookies just because, or rent some skis for an afternoon of adventure.
Pick one thing you’ve always wanted to do and do that one thing without distraction, guilt, or shame.
Monday, December 18th | Kindness
Today’s gift of nourishment is kindness. You’ve given your fair share of kindness to everyone who surrounds you and most importantly you’ve focused on the greatest gift of all, being present, attentive, and accounted for. But today we want to flip that kindness back to yourself.
No matter where life has led you or what external circumstances you’d like to see change, remember that you are enough, just the way you are. You are just as deserving of love and kindness you’ve showered over others this season. So today, take a few minutes today to shower that same kindness on yourself. And when you see the reflection of that self-love reflecting back in the mirror, the store windows or the elevator doors, embrace that good feeling and flaunt it for others to feel too.
Tuesday, December 19th | Cook – Just Because
The holidays are definitely heating up and the party list is growing. Today’s gift of nourishment is to cook, just because. We say ‘just because’ mostly because we don’t want this to be another chore or stress on your to-do list. Today, choose to stay in and make a comfort meal like this lasagna or this hearty soup. Better yet, double the recipe and pass it on to fill someone else’s refrigerators for the coming week ahead.
Find one recipe you love, or one you’ve been meaning to try, and double it. Then, pass it on and let the gift of cooking continue.
Wednesday, December 20th | Live Joyfully
Tis the season for joy, so today’s gift of nourishment is simply that, to live joyfully. The only way to live joyfully is to live fully aware, to be awake and present and choose to find the good in the everyday. If you’re struggling to live as joyfully as you hope for, here are some ways to practice joy today:
- Wake up grateful, and write down some reasons why in a journal, on a note on your iPhone, or even on a gratitude board. Take note of every little and big blessing you have.
- Bless those who cross your path, even if they don’t treat you as you had hoped, wish them the best. And mean it.
- Laugh even if it means random YouTube videos of puppies and babies or other time sucks you feel you should never take time for. Instead, take time to laugh today.
- Make a connection. Call up a long-time friend just to talk or text your cousin, sister, mom or former co-worker just to check in and spread your joy.
There are a lot of ways to live joyfully, it’s just choosing them even if nothing seems to be going as planned.
Thursday, December 21st | Be Spontaneous
The best life is an adventurous one, so today’s gift of nourishment is the gift of spontaneity. To be a moment-maker, live for the opportunity and the adventure. Find some way today to be spontaneous. It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top and grand adventure like skydiving or sailing the Seven Seas. Adventure is all around and it can actually be really simple. Look around your every day. Listen to what’s happening in the community. Then make your plans and get out and live.
Week Four
Friday, December 22nd | COMING SOON!
