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Tips to Staying Stress Free During the Holidays
While the Holiday Season can be a truly beautiful time of year with the music, the lights and decorations, plus spending time with family, it can also be really stressful! The Health Ministry would like to remind everyone that it is important to take a moment for yourself during this busy and stressful time of year. Give yourself the gift of a few moments to take the focus away from things that are causing you stress. One grounding (a self -soothing skill to use when you are having a bad day or dealing with a lot of stress) technique is called 5,4,3,2,1:How to do it:
- Step 1: Take a seat and take a few deep breaths. Slowly:
- Step 2: Name five things you can see around you.
- Step 3: Name four things you can touch.
- Step 4: Name three things you can hear.
- Step 5: Name two things you can smell.
- Step 6: Name one thing you can taste.
By actively engaging your senses, you shift your attention away from anxious thoughts and into the present moment.
I was reminded of another way to ground yourself while listening to Will’s sermon during the beautiful service this past Sunday and how people would focus on the art of St Hildegard, really seeing what her vision was. We can take a moment and just sit and really look at a painting or photograph, or even out a window. Take a few minutes and study it deeply, noticing all the different details, the colors, the backgrounds, strokes of the brush, wind in the trees, etc.
We hope that you find some of these grounding tools helpful and that you all have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas.
The Health Ministry
