After the Holiday High

After all that struggle and stress to get through the holidays, the tough and the lovely times behind, the high of the holidays begins to wear off. It can be really rough when the stress wears off that's been holding you together, the stress, like coffee, buzzing you away to get through everything. And then, suddenly, it's over. It's just another yesterday and today is as normal as ever.

That is the time when the holiday hangover can happen. You feel - despite all that celebrating - as if you could sleep a 1000 days and nights, need a vacation, would rather do anything than go back to real life.

Real life is inevitable, but the traditional low that follows the the holiday rush, that hangover feeling doesn't need to melt into hopelessness. A really great way to get through it is to:

1. Practice gratitude in the now
It's a great time to be present, and a great way to get present is to start your gratitude list of everything NOW.

2. Deep breathing
It's a great time to practice the techniques of the ancients who knew that our breathing truly is the breath of life. Conscious breathing brings focus, clarity and peace.

3. Find hope
If you can find gratitude for the moment you are halfway to hope. If you can remember that everything happens for a divinely perfect reason, and recognize that all is well (even, or perhaps especially, if things aren't going your way) you will relieve yourself of tremendous stress and worry that weren't helping you anyway.

It's a new year. Anything can happen. Every day is a new day. Anything can happen when you embrace it as the most perfect gift you were ever given.

Blessings.
- Darshan

© 2010 Darshan F Jessop