6 Ways to Embrace Joy (Even in a Season of Sadness)
Is Your Holiday Season Full of Anxiety?
The days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve seem to disappear at accelerated speeds.
You have so much to do: Gifts to buy, gifts to wrap, parties to attend, parties to give, friends to reach out to, Christmas cards to write, and endless other activities.
You rush from one task to another, fighting traffic, crowds of shoppers, and grumpy attitudes.
Suddenly you find yourself losing sight of a ‘happy’ holiday time. The cold shiver of anxiety begins creeping up your spine. Your shoulders tense, and your spirits sag.
The holiday season is in danger of becoming a time of stress instead of happiness.
This can be especially true if you start with a base of sadness. You may be missing a loved one, grieving a loss, or feeling an empty ache in your heart. There are countless reasons you might be starting each day with a feeling of anxiety and dread instead of happiness.
So how can you lean away from anxiety and enjoy this holiday season more fully? Let’s look at six ways to use your senses to embrace joy.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique is a practice of tapping into our senses to help our minds abandon stress and focus instead on the here and now.
This technique utilizes our five senses: taste, smell, hear, touch, and see. We will also be adding an extra bonus sense for our purposes today.
Do you know what the greatest thing is about this technique?
You carry your five senses with you everywhere you go! No extra equipment is needed. No special classes need to be taken or extensive preparation. And sometimes, one item will cover multiple categories. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a wonderful tool to keep in your back pocket for whenever you feel overwhelmed with big feelings.
1 – Joy of Taste
Utilize your sense of taste by indulging in one holiday treat.
- Candy canes of any flavor
- Hot cocoa
- Sugar cookies
- Gingerbread
- Pumpkin pie
- Peppermint mocha latte
- Peppermint tea
- Cranberry bread
- Fudge
- Eggnog
- Hot apple cider
2 – Joy of Scents
This time of year, the air is full of traditional and sentimental aromas. Choose two scents to deeply inhale as you focus on your breathing. You can use actual items, or fragrant items such as candles and gum.
- Peppermint
- Pine needles
- Cranberries
- Freshly baked cookies
- Cinnamon sticks
- Gingerbread people
- Cloves and nutmeg
- Hot apple cider
- Vanilla
- The scent of a fire burning in the fireplace
3 – Joy of Sounds
The Christmas season ushers in a flurry of nostalgic sounds that will appeal to your senses. Try to calm yourself for a moment and pick out three sounds drifting across the breeze.
- Jingle Bells
- Christmas music
- Laughter
- Ho-Ho-Ho
- Carolers
- Merry Christmas greetings
- Perfect silence on a snowy day
- Crackling fireplace
- Sleigh Bells
- The footfalls and rolling wheels of a horse-drawn carriage
- A church choir
- Marching steps of a parade
- Clock chimes
4 – Joy of Touch
This category has plenty of abundant options. Find four things you can touch to ground you in the present moment. One particularly nice thing to seek out is anything warm to make you feel cozy (but don’t rule out fun seasonal textures such as snow.)
- Warmth from a fireplace
- Hot mug of cocoa or peppermint tea
- Soft, plush blankets
- Pinecones
- Pine needles
- Fuzzy stockings
- Christmas ornaments
- Smooth bells
- Snow
- Mittens
- Gingerbread house
- The soft cheek of a baby
- Fur of a favorite pet
- Crinkle some wrapping paper
- A cool breeze caressing your cheek
- Feathery tinsel
- The steam from a hot cup of coffee
5 – Joy of Sight
This category is limitless. What is around you that you can focus your gaze on? Find five things and really look closely at the details of each item.
- Ornaments
- Nutcrackers
- Christmas trees
- Twinkling lights
- Outside light displays
- Snow Globes
- Wrapping paper
- Holiday Cards
- Beautifully wrapped gifts
- Candles flickering their shadows against a wall
- A blanket of snow
- Sparklers
- A nativity scene
- The evening sky
- Count the people you see wearing Christmas clothes
- Big bows made of curly ribbons
- Miniature Christmas villages
- A snowman
- A lit Christmas tree in a dark room
6 – Joy of Enjoyment
Remember I said there are 6 ways to embrace joy? You might be wondering what the 6th sense could be. It isn’t one of the typical senses we usually think about. It’s finding a sense of enjoyment.
This is the only thing on this list that isn’t tangible. Enjoyment is an emotion, not something you can hold or pick up. If we take a moment to look around ourselves during Christmas, we can see enjoyment all around us. If we can tap into a tiny bit of that wonderment and contentment, we will be giving ourselves an exquisite gift.
- Play in the snow
- Play in the kitchen baking cookies without caring about the mess
- Walk through a Christmas tree lot and enjoy the ambiance
- Sit in front of a fireplace with a friend or two and take the time to giggle
- Enjoy a child’s jubilant laughter
- Sing Christmas songs as loudly as you want
- Savor the authentic smile of someone you love
- Surprise a stranger with a bit of kindness like opening the door for them
- If you feel too rushed to get to a gathering on time, give yourself permission to miss it and indulge in your senses instead
- Laugh until your sides hurt
- Dance energetically to Christmas music
Hang onto that Joy and Don’t Let Go!
Even if you are stepping into this holiday season with a wounded heart or shattered dreams, you can still bask in the warm embrace of joy.
Take a moment to practice some 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique, plus add in that one component of chasing enjoyment.
Release your tension and worry. Anchor yourself in the here-and-now.
You deserve some happiness today. Next year, when you look back, I don’t want you to focus on the stress and anxiety of this year. Instead, I hope your memories are filled with the warmth of joy, the holiday scents and special flavors, and the wondrous sights and sounds you experienced.
View the last 3 O’clock Wednesday Post Chasing Blue Skies and Finding Happiness
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