Your Challenge: 6 Ways to Slow Down This Holiday Season
From Bollywood aerobics to mealtime gratitude lists, we’ve teamed-up with The Motherwell Movement to offer 6 challenges that will help you slow down and savor the season.
Words: SARAH MAGIDOFF
Photograph: JONATHAN KNEPPER
Challenge: In collaboration with The Motherwell Movement, we’ve thought-up six simple ways to slow down and savor the season. Choose one of the following categories to focus-on for the next few weeks. And join us on IG LIVE Tuesday, December 8 @ noon with Bree Lumsden, founder of The Motherwell Movement, as we discuss making room for what matters most during this one-of-a-kind holiday season!
TECHNOLOGY
Find ways to put down your device. Consider taking a social media sabbatical one day each week, one week this month, or take the month off entirely! You can also set tighter boundaries around your devices by creating “no device” windows. That could be for the first and last hour of the day, or choose one day a week to leave your device off for the entire day. Get the whole family involved!
MEALS
Embrace mealtimes as an opportunity to slow down. If you normally eat on the go or while multitasking, consider committing to sitting down for meals and eliminating distractions (even if just for 15 minutes!). Practice a pre-meal pause - this could be taking 3 deep breaths, acknowledging gratitudes, or engaging all of your senses to notice different aspects of what you are eating: smell, texture, taste, etc. Choose one meal a week to prepare together as a family - add ambiance with candles and music and savor the process.
REFLECTION
Take some time to reflect on the past year, take inventory of the present, and create a vision for the new year by dedicating 5-10 minutes each day to contemplation. You can meditate, sit in silence, journal, breathe, write a gratitude list, listen to a soothing song or engage in whatever practice you use to slow the mind.
MOVEMENT
Release stress and nurture your wellbeing with movement that brings you joy. Do a daily mid-afternoon dance break, take an online yoga class once a week or a weekly Sunday morning walk through your neighborhood. Involve the whole family with a game of tag or frisbee or a living room dance party. Take that online hip-hop class or bollywood aerobics you’ve wanted to try - in the world of zoom classes - now’s the time!
CONNECTION
Take time to connect with the loved ones you won’t be able to spend time with this season. Write a letter, send a text, start a Marco Polo conversation, or make an old-fashioned phone call. With each individual, share some of your favorite memories with them from holiday seasons past.
WORK + TO-DO LISTS
Find ways to savor the season by intentionally stepping away from your to-do list. Set aside an afternoon a week to focus on a holiday activity you enjoy. Or, if you work nights and weekends, you can use this season to set a boundary and use that time to slow down for what matters most. If possible, consider extending your holiday break beyond the traditional two-week window to rest and recharge before the new year.
WHICH CHALLENGE WILL YOU BE CHOOSING?
I’d love to hear from you! Email me at slowentrepreneur@gmail.com - Sarah