Craving company during the holidays? 7 ways to be merry with others
It's the most social time of the year and you're home with your houseplant. Are you away from family and friends, maybe in a new city? Are you feeling lonely, bored, or antsy? Do you gain most of your your energy from time with people? Here are seven quick tips when you need the company of others during the holidays.
1. Scan Meetup groups, Facebook events, or your local newspaper. In the social media era, there are always so many cool things going on and they're easier and easier to find! Don't be afraid to go alone - you'll surely meet some kindred spirits to conspire with!
2. Volunteer. Soup kitchens. Homeless shelters. Old folks homes. There's no better cure for solo ennui than striking up a conversation with someone who could really use the company. Be present and compassionate for others and feel your spirits lift!
3. House sit for someone with a dog, and head to a dog park. Meet other friendly dog people and enjoy the romping excited energy of happy pups! Or just volunteer to take a busy friend's dog out for the afternoon.
4. Create your own random kindness activity. Hand out candy canes or flowers. Write sweet notes and pass them out. Bake cookies and set up a "free cookie table" at a nearby park. Be creative. Maybe someone will video you, it will go viral and you'll end up with a spot on the Today Show! :)
5. Go to a class. Fitness. Yoga. Pottery painting. Cooking. There are so many fun ways to hang out with others and learn something too.
6. Make your own party, large or small. Invite new friends to a cookie baking party. Or a wine tasting, or holiday card writing. Or Netflix watching. Or something else you love but would love to do with someone else. Ask one or two people to join you for breakfast, lunch, coffee, a walk, or your other favorite thing. It's really common for people to assume that everyone else is busy during the holidays, but it's not true! Ask and you'll be surprised who's also looking for company!
7. Just open up and smile. Strike up conversations with strangers. It's amazing how people want to share but don't always perceive the invitation. Be a good listener. When you find someone whose personality resonates with yours, stick around.
If you're new to town or just finding yourself on your own it's easy to believe that everyone else is already set with a scintillating social life and no room for you. But the truth is there are plenty of other people out there looking for something fun and happy to do with someone kind and pleasant - you!
And if some of your invitations and welcoming overtures are turned down, that's ok! Don't let one"No, I can't make it this weekend" mean anything except that person is busy, tired, or maybe trying to get some down time - see link below!
Need quiet time during the holidays? 9 ways to get some space.
Are you an introvert who plays an extrovert on TV? Or are you simply a straight-up introvert? Try these tips when you need a break from the parties, the football games, the relatives, and the crowds.
1. Offer to house sit. Then you can go to someone else's empty home and visit with their cat or plants or whatever you're watching. You'll have an oasis of quiet and you can get away any time by simply exclaiming, "Oh! I just remembered! I need to go to _______'s house and feed their bird/cat/iguana/boa constrictor."
2. Take a walk. Before or after a meal, at half time, in the morning, at sunset - these are all great times to say, "I'm going out for a walk. I'll see y'all in about a half hour or so." If people want to join you and you'd prefer to be completely alone, explain that you'll be doing a silent walking meditation. Which brings us to a wonderful alone-time option:
3. Meditate. Sometimes people understand "I'm off to do my daily meditation" better than "I really need some alone time." So whether you have a rich and fulfilling meditation practice or not, you can go to a room, close the door, and be by yourself, whether you're silently chanting a mantra or just relaxing with your thoughts.
4. Nap. Jet lag. General holiday exhaustion. Getting over a cold or the flu. A late night of partying. There are so many reasons to offer why you might need to spirit yourself away for a delicious restorative nap. If you're not tired but just want to be alone, you can bring a magazine or book under the covers with you. Holidays are made for napping. Find your favorite cozy spot and prioritize the daily holiday nap.
5. Go running. If you're an athlete, there's nothing like a solo run to clear your head and give you space for yourself. Pop in your favorite tunes, put on your headphones and hustle out the door. Or choose to take in the sounds of nature - breezes through the branches, rustling leaves, crunching frost underfoot- you'll be restored in no time!
6. Volunteer to go to the store for the last minute grocery items/batteries/baked goods/whatever. Sure, you'll have to brave the crowds, but you don't have to interact with strangers except to smile peacefully, so it's almost like being on your own! Then take an extra detour on the way home, stop at a park or a view-- or just sit in the parking lot! - and enjoy five or ten minutes of quiet for yourself.
7. Take a long bath. Add a lot of bath salts. Light some candles. Climb in and close your eyes. Ahhhh.
8. Go to a museum, house of worship or other quiet indoor space. If you're in a place where temps are below freezing, you can get your alone time inside. Even in the most crowded museum in New York City, you'll find rooms and galleries where there's hardly a soul. Relax on a bench and stare at a painting for 20 minutes. Or go to a place of worship, light a candle and sit in silent contemplation.
9. Just stay home. There's no rule that says you have to attend every social event that's available. If you're 18 or over, even if you feel social pressure to be everywhere, know that you have all the choice in the world to do what you really want. Take advantage of that. Unplug your phone, disconnect your computer, make some tea or hot cocoa and curl up with a good book. If you need to, tell folks you'll be out of town. Then stay put and enjoy. Ahhh.
6 Ways To Live More Wild And Precious, And They Don't Require Shopping...
More Wild and Precious!
Oh my goodness - it's December - last month of 2014! You want to embrace life fully. You want to do and be all those amazing things you see online, on TV, in books or magazines, in the inspirational quotes in your friends' news feeds.
But life sometimes gets in the way. Sometimes you're just tired. Maybe you don't like your job. Or you struggle with kids or relatives. Or you're scared to take that big step and make a major change.
I totally get it. I've made it my top priority to live my wild and precious life, and I still get scared, overwhelmed and tired.
I put together a simple list of what I've been doing to live more wild and precious, and none of it requires holiday shopping! If you need a break from all the emails about sales and discounts that make you feel like you're missing out, click here for a spot of clarity and a reminder of what's truly important. Bonus! Learn the story of our wild and precious chant and spontaneous W&P hand sign! And our hashtag #wildandprecious!
What's inspiring me - Going solar and getting insulated!
As a green business owner with LIfeCity, I've made it a priority this year to make our 1800s home more energy-efficient. And it feels amazing to do it! We now have solar panels (through Joule Solar) and we're about to get our raised home's wood floors insulated, which is super-exciting because when it's cold out, our current floors are about ten degrees higher than the temperature outside, so that makes for a chilly house! We also have a new Nest thermostat - it's so smart it's like there's a person handling our heating and cooling all the time. We can adjust the temperature from our phones if we want- amazing!
If you really want to live green, you need to look at the energy efficiency of your dwelling. It's not glamorous and it takes some investment and work at the front end, but once it's done it's done and then you see big benefits quickly. So if you've been putting off going green in this area like we did, consider making it a priority. I am so looking forward to non-freezing floors! (Links are not affiliates - but I wish they were! )
Inspiration For Your Path - connecting with your soul, positivity that works, and prioritizing self-care.
I just finished reading The Untethered
And if you'd like a quick lesson on creating affirmations that really work, check out my recent spot on The 504 TV show with Sheba Turk, and see how we have fun with lemons.Click here to watch!
http://www.wwltv.com/videos/news/local/my-54/2014/11/12/18932905/
Happy December, take care of you, and don't forget to notice the sky and the flowers! Wild and precious, wild and precious!