Dreading the holidays?

Do not rely on what you have always done — you are a new person now, and you may want to try something different.

by Sara Wiseman — 

Are you dreading it already? You know — the whole shopping-gifting-cooking-cleaning-eating-drinking-socializing-relatives-traveling season just ahead? From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, many of us get trapped in a cycle of overabundance — the state of having too much and more than we can use or process. The cup that is not just full, but overflowing.

It has gotten worse in recent years, from Christmas decorations that go on display at Halloween to the shopping frenzy of Black Friday. We have become a culture of excess and a society of waste, moving from the next new thing to the next — without taking the time to enjoy any of it. We have so much that we cannot use or even experience it all.

This overabundance — having more than we need — creates stress, lowers vibration and zaps energy from mind, body and spirit. I am all for abundance. I am not one to pass up anything that brings pleasure or beauty or connection to my life. But when we become trapped in the cycle of overabundance — the endless circle of want, get, want, get — our lives fall out of balance.

Six ways overabundance causes holiday stress

During the holidays, overabundance shows up in different forms. It is not just excessive gifts or eating rich foods, but in less obvious ways as well, including over-socializing, complex family relationships, rigid traditions and low vibrational group thought. Here are six areas where overabundance can create stress.

1. Overabundance of food — Rich, sweet, fatty holiday food lowers your physical vibration, which affects mind and spirit too. If you work in an office or with a group of people, it is hard to escape the sweets. Alcohol from frequent social events adds to this mix. Do not worry about weight gain; instead, focus on the energetic signature of your food. Is it processed? Will it make you feel good? Does your body really want it? Pay attention and do not let the season of indulgence lower your vibrations.

2. Overabundance of gifts — The cycle of shopping, buying, wrapping, giving and receiving can be very stressful, even if budget is not a concern. The sheer energetic reality of involving ourselves with objects or “stuff” can be overwhelming, especially when we understand that every object has its own frequency, vibration or energetic signature, depending on where it came from, how it was made, who made it and so forth. This is a lot of new energy to add to your reality.

Consider your energy as you decide how or if you will give and receive gifts. Consider your energy if you decide to do without, do less or give experiences or to charity instead. Once you break the gift cycle, you will be surprised at how free you feel.

3. Overabundance of socializing — Office parties, school events, the annual party you have gone to every year for 10 years, all have a certain clamor of “must attend” attached to them; when in reality, you can change plans, opt out or do something different. Do not rely on what you have always done — you are a new person now, and you may want to try something different. Reassess every year. Introverts especially may need lots of private time during this season; if you are one, give yourself the gift of quiet and solitude.

4. Overabundance of family relationships — The saying goes: You cannot go home again. And yet, every holiday season most of us continue to swim upriver to our birthing place. Many times, the wounds, past hurts and misunderstandings are still there. And because we are so busy during the holidays, we do not have time to work on our relationships with family members. Understand that family karma is complex and the stress of the holidays makes it more so. Be gentle with yourself and others. Have an exit strategy if things go awry. If it is just too much, opt out and try again another time.

5. Overabundance of tradition — Just because you have always done things a certain way does not mean you have to continue to do so. This might include going to a party, gathering, church, or wearing certain clothes, using the same decorations, eating particular foods and being with the same people. Break free from the traditions you have always followed and see what the Universe has for you.

6. Overabundance of group thought — Understand how the power of group thought or collective soul can affect your mood. We have all seen what fear-based beliefs can do to collective thought — hate, violence, financial ruin and war are all products of low vibrational thinking. During the holidays, mindless consumption is the culprit — everyone is stressing out on want, get, want, get. This creates enormous stress and, when this is done in the collective, everyone feels it. During this time, connect to your higher self and God/One/All/Divine/Source, frequently and deeply. Use Thanksgiving and the Solstice as markers for the season — times when you can easily dip into gratitude and joy.

I am all for abundance. I am not one to pass up anything that brings pleasure or beauty or connection to my life.

Ways to jumpstart a holiday filled with gratitude 

• Travel outside of peak season. Flying on Christmas day instead of Christmas Eve is an entirely different experience
• Limit gifts to inexpensive tokens or gift “experiences.”
• Make a bucket list of what you really love about the holidays. Do them and let the rest go.
• Graciously decline invites that no longer fit. A simple, “I am sorry, we cannot make it” is all you need.
• Sleep, rest, be still. It is winter.
• Sing. Connect with younger ones and your younger self.
• Give hugs, the best gift of all.
• Revisit the holidays as holy days.
• Get emotional, feel it and celebrate. Life is a miracle.

Sara Wiseman is a spiritual teacher, intuitive and the author of six books on spirituality and intuition. She is a top contributor to DailyOM and has released four healing music CDs with her band Martyrs of Sound. sarawiseman.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 32, Number 5, October/November 2013.