Person in a tan coat and red hat stands in a snowy forest with arms outstretched.

Staying Unfazed During the Holi-daze

Staying Unfazed During the Holi-daze

The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is action packed, filled with fun events and traditions.

This can create a calendar and to do list so filled that it can transform even the most festive holiday spirit into snarky and resentful!

These short reflections and mindset shifts will help you to approach the holiday season and beyond with a sense of calm and intention.

  • I recommend bookmarking this page for easy access.

  • I would love to hear about your experience! Email me at Jenine@uqmindfulness.com to let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.

I’m so happy you’re here!

-Jenine

PS- Here are additional ways to stay connected if you’re new to UQ Mindfulness and me!

Subscribe to the UQ Mindfulness weekly newsletter for tips and simple shifts you can easily incorporate.

Follow UQ Mindfulness on Instagram.

Introduction: Let’s Get Started!

Listen to a brief overview of what to expect during this program and how to feel unfazed this holiday season.

Tech Tip: When listening to each recording, if you would like to change the speed, click on the three dots, and you can speed it up or slow it down.

Find a variety of guided meditations in Lesson 4:

Add these to your routine for stress relief, a reset, managing feelings towards challenging people, or just a quiet part of your day!

Section 1: Get Aligned

The Easy Truth About Mindfulness

Close-up of a snowflake on the left with a quote about mindfulness on the right by Jon Kabat-Zinn, stating mindfulness involves purposeful and non-judgmental attention.

We hear the term “mindfulness” a lot, but what does it really mean?

Listen for a brief foundation of mindfulness, presence, judgement and how it applies to the holidays.

To feel more fulfilled, your actions and activities need to be in alignment with what you deem important.
— Deborah Day

Reflection Questions: Value

Two glasses of red wine on a fireplace hearth with a fire burning. Text on the right prompts reflection with questions about values and priorities.

Grab your journal, a cozy blanket and get ready to explore your values, and how you can use them to feel more fulfilled this holiday season!

Continue on to the next recording for your first two action steps!

Snowman in urban winter setting; text on right explains "Simple Shifts" for mindfulness: create space to check priorities and swap "to do" with "to be."

Simple Shifts: Values

Listen to this short recording for tips on how to incorporate these two action steps to help you feel more calm and in control this holiday season.

You can continue directly onto the next lesson, or wait a few days to practice incorporating these simple shifts!

The Key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
— Stephen Covey
Santa Claus surfing on a yellow surfboard with a quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn: 'You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.'

Section 2: Making Peace With Stress

The holidays are busy.

Busyness can lead to feelings of stress.

In this short recording, learn about how you can nurture your relationship with stress.

Graph illustrating the concept of eustress with a bell curve, showing optimal performance level at moderate stress, labeled as "Optimal Level." Performance level is high at optimal stress and low at too little or too much stress.

The Good Kind of Stress

Here is a visual that shows varying stress levels.

  1. When stress is too low, we have a lack of challenge and motivation.

  2. If it’s too high, we get frustrated, burned out and reactive.

  3. Eustress is the optimal level of stress.

Fireplace with burning fire and two glasses of wine on the left, and a reflection guide on the right with questions about managing stress.

Reflection Questions: Stress

Grab a cozy blanket and your journal.

Use these self reflection questions to help you build more awareness of your current stress levels and your relationship to stress.

Listen to this brief recording for some additional prompting.

List of informal ways to de-stress alongside a cozy window nook with a candle, books, and a mug.

A Plan to De-Stress

Here are some ideas for ways to de-stress.

Think of some of your favorite techniques and keep a list of inspiration for when you need a reset!

Snowman in snowy urban setting with tips for stress management, including planning stress checks, nurturing relationship with stress, and creating a list of de-stressors. "UQ: Be You. Mindfully." logo at the bottom left."

Simple Shifts: Stress

Small changes can create big results!

Here are some simple shifts to help you better navigate stress, add equanimity, and nurture your relationships to stress.

Continue incorporating the simple shifts from the values section to stay unfazed (and aligned) this holiday season and beyond!

A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.
— Helen Keller

Section 3: Unfazed Beyond the Holidays

Cozy fireplace with two glasses of wine; reflection prompts on side.

Living mindfully is about bringing awareness and intention into your daily life.

Being able to make conscious choices and be responsive vs. reactive is empowering, satisfying, and more effective!

In this last section, use these reflection questions to create a foundation for aligning your time and attention towards what will make you feel the most fulfilled.

Grab your journal, and let’s take a deep dive into your mindset to set you up for future success!

Person holding a snow globe with a snowy mountain and house inside

Meditation Basics

Before you tell me that you cannot meditate, that you tried, but you just can’t quiet your mind. Let me tell you, good! You’re human and totally normal!

It’s common to think that the goal is to not think during meditation, but that’s impossible! It’s the nature of the mind to think.

Listen to this brief recording that will review a few tips that will help you feel more successful and ready to meditate!

Guided Meditation 1: Mini Mindful Moment

Woman in a white shirt sitting against a textured wall, looking up and smiling.

Whether you’re new to meditating of just need a quick reset, this mini mindful moment is an effective and speedy technique!

Person holding a steaming mug with a knitted cozy, sitting by a fireplace, wearing a sweater and knitted socks.

Guided Meditation 2: Body Scan

A body scan is a fantastic way to release tension in your body.

Whether you’re building awareness of where you hold stress or just want to mediate, this practice will support you!

Hands holding a small red heart-shaped fabric cushion with blue stitching.

Guided Meditation 3: Loving Kindness

Don’t let the warm and fuzzy name fool you! A loving kindness meditation is a powerful practice in managing difficult emotions with challenging people in your life while cultivating compassion for yourself.

Seeing someone during the holidays that you find triggering? Add this to your meditation repertoire!

Smiling woman with long wavy hair against an orange background.

Thank you!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your holidays!

I would love to hear how your experience was. Please share your thoughts! Email me at Jenine@UQmindfulness.com

As you enter the New Year, I would love to be a part of your future!

Here are three links for different ways that we can meet or or stay connected.

  1. Schedule a free 30 minute Spark Session:

    We’ll have a conversation about how you can bring the calm and confident feelings of this program to your life, beyond the holiday season.

  2. Join my mailing list for a weekly newsletter, where we take a light approach to serious stuff. I share tips, insights and offers.

  3. Follow me on Instagram (or Facebook).

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

Jenine