During the holidays many of us experience a significant increase in Family Time. We may see relatives that we have not seen for quite a while or if we live close to relatives we may experience an increased family concentration or intensity of engagement. While often joyful and wonderful it is important to remember that Family Time can consume large amounts of energy. The tendency for many is to over-indulge during the holidays with both food & drink as well as family interaction. In both cases, we may feel the after-effects of an 'energetic hangover' as we come down off the high to find our personal energetic reserves drained.
While the preventative measures and remedies for food & drink over-indulgence are common knowledge (i.e. drink lots of water, Alka-Seltzer and tomato juice, etc.), Family Time over-indulgence also has it's own 'medicine' - known better as Personal Time. This is simply what is sounds like - Personal time spent (alone) to recharge your batteries and keep your energetic reserves refreshed. Simply taking a pause from the fray can do wonders to refreshing yourself and keeping you grounded.
If you already include a good amount of Personal Time in your daily life, the key here is to continue this during the holidays but increase it to account for additional energetic needs. If you do not currently engage in Personal Time, the holidays is a great time to start this practice as many people often have some additional time off from work, school or various projects at this time of the year.
The prescribed dosage for Personal Time during the holidays is 2-3 short periods of time (15-20 minutes) + 1 extended period (45-60 minutes) each day. If Personal Time is new to you then this may seem excessive, but please note that the short and extended periods of time can be something that you may already do like a quiet cup of coffee or tea, taking the dog for a walk, doing your nails/make-up, sitting in an easy chair in a corner or a relaxing bath or shower. The focus here is in how you engage in your Personal Time and whether it recharges you or not. Learning what is True Personal Time for you is part of the process as well.
The suggestion here is to seek to intentionally transform your current alone periods into Personal Time moments. By simply focusing you awareness on the activity of recharging and preparing yourself for Family Time, you will draw extra energy to you during your Personal Time. Even if you find yourself unable to get out or to manifest an extended period, taking a short break in the bathroom to douse a little water on your face or light a small candle in quiet corner can do wonders. Just enjoy your Family Time and your Personal Time!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Whitney
© 2010 All rights reserved, Whitney Merrill
