Remember To Choose

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinions;

it is easy in solitude to live after your own;

but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd

keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is easy to feel overwhelmed during the holidays.  We are exposed to more people, different surroundings, and get less sleep.  It is no wonder our brains begin to feel fried.  When we do not replenish our selves, we are likely to explode in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person.

When we can offer ourselves a few minutes in a time out chair, we can sip some tea or practice breath work or read something brief but soothing.  We can close our eyes and imagine we are walking in the midst of a woodland and allow the solitude to relax our weary bones.  The rustle of small animals and the movement of a bird taking flight can distract our monkey mind from the endless chatter.  

In this way, we restore ourselves and can return to the chaos with more patience and cheer.  There may not be the luxury of down time, so we compensate with short visualizations to slow our bodies and minds down.  We must remember to choose to do so.  It is our responsibility to be aware of our own needs in the midst of the holidays.