Enjoy Less This Holiday Season
The holidays have officially arrived! And this year, as you are gearing up for all of the various festivities and celebrations, I want to offer a little challenge…
Enjoy less this holiday season.
I don’t know about you, but every dang year, I somehow get pulled into mindsets of needing more and not having enough. I need more money, more gifts, more time off, less obligations, less travel, less family drama, etc. How many conversations do we have with friends every holiday season where we lament feeling overscheduled, burnt out on the hustle and bustle, and generally annoyed?
There has to be a better way of doing things where we’re not all turning into Scrooges by New Year’s. This brought to mind a quote that I’ve been mulling over:
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” - Socrates
I don’t think Socrates is meaning that we resign ourselves to a joyless life. Rather, I think he’s giving us a life hack that is actually in our control - the ability to get more enjoyment from less stuff. It’s a pursuit of serenity regardless of our circumstances. However, growing your capacity to enjoy more with less takes intention, effort, and work. It means doing something uncomfortable first, and then reaping the benefits later. Growing your capacity will require choosing something different than what you normally default to doing.
So, if you want more happiness in your life this holiday season, what will you choose to do differently? Where can you make a decision to grow your capacity to enjoy more with less?
For me, here are 3 ideas that I am actively working on:
Prioritize Experiences Over Stuff: When I think back to my favorite memories around the holidays, they have nothing to do with getting more stuff. For example, my all time favorite tradition was (and still is) decorating Christmas cookies with family and friends. I remember getting nice gifts at times, but there isn’t any lasting emotional connection to those memories. I want to build positive experiences that last.
Practice Gratitude For What I Already Have: Personally nothing helps me get out of victim mode like practicing gratitude. It opens me up to a world of abundance that I’ve taken for granted. This is not a Pollyanna attitude. Gratitude alone won’t solve my problems, but it does decrease my suffering and allow me to enjoy more with less. I will continue to practice gratitude daily.
Permit Boredom: If I’m constantly filling my downtime with music, content, smartphone, TV, etc. I will always be in consumer mode. For most people, boredom is an enemy. The thing to be avoided at all costs. But I want to reclaim boredom. It is not evil. Boredom is the felt sense of detoxing from the modern world. It heals your brain and your soul. I will allow myself to feel boredom and create intentional space for it to arise.
Here’s a tagline you won’t hear on a commercial this holiday season: Give yourself the gift of happiness by growing your capacity to enjoy less.
Wishing you much joy, peace and happiness,
Tom Page, LCPC
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