Family, Friends, Food, Drinks & Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
it's a recipe for sensory & stomach overload
We are social beings, hard-wired to interact with other people.
The extrovert loves parties with bright lights, loud conversation and plenty to eat and drink. The introvert prefers an intimate dinner party with a few friends, candlelight and excellent food. And since many of us are in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum, it's important to have a holiday plan. If we prepare for the uptick in social gatherings we are less likely to be overwhelmed and exhausted by the time January rolls around.
So how do we enjoy every moment of the holiday season?
Spend time outdoors. Check out a local outdoor holiday light display. One of the best in the Washington D.C. area is at Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring. You can spend hours outside chatting with friends and family and enjoying the sights!
Go for a hike. In the Washington D.C. area, people hike next to the Potomac River on the Billy Goat Trail. This trail offers spectacular views of Great Falls and the Potomac River. It's hard to believe there's so much natural beauty just a few miles from Georgetown in D.C.
If you still have holiday shopping to do, go to local shops where you walk outside from store to store. Just a week ago, I did this in downtown Bethesda Maryland.
Turn off the television and sit by an open fire. This is such a great way to spend time with family and friends. No television advertisements telling you what you "need" to be happy. When you sit outside by an open fire, it seems to center your mind.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Finally, read the book Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The author gives simple advice on how to enjoy the moment. The secret to enjoying every moment is to be in every moment.
"Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour but this hour."
Walt Whitman
"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this."
Henry David Thoreau
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