Content provided by the Health & Wellness Team at GBS Benefits
With the holidays just around the corner, have you thought about how you will be intentional with your celebrations and traditions this year? Bringing little or big traditions into your life can sprinkle your holiday season with a sense of purpose and fun.
It’s important to identify which traditions connect you to people and memories you love versus those that are beginning to feel overwhelming or tiresome. The secret of traditions is that they hold much more value than the actual act of the event. Being intentional about which traditions you choose to participate in this year can add excitement and meaning to your holiday celebrations! Continue reading for suggestions as you look to create or refine your traditions.
Expand the things you already do. Expanding on little things you already love can be a great starting point when learning to actively create your own traditions. Consider something as small as always making an apple pie for Thanksgiving — can you transition this into creating a tradition of going apple picking as a family to harvest your own apples? Maybe your family sits down to chat after a big meal — can you incorporate fun games like holiday BINGO to spice up the evening and create memories together?
Set intentions for your traditions. Setting intentions does not have to be time consuming or stressful. It can be as simple as intending to “have a fun time together” or “have a pressure-free family get together.” Think about the deeper meaning of the new tradition. Are you looking to create a lasting memory for your kids or reunite with friends who rarely see each other? Whatever it is, take a moment to plan and reflect to help bring purpose to your traditions.
Look to the past. Reflect on past holidays. What memories made you feel joy? Consider asking parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles what special things they did as a child, or bring back old traditions you celebrated as a kid. This adds sentimental value to traditions as they are passed from generation to generation.
Stepping away. Traditions shouldn’t feel stressful or overwhelming. If a family tradition no longer fits into your life, don’t force the activity. Instead focus on appreciating those memories and creating new ones in your current phase of life.
Sometimes you can stumble upon your own traditions or actively create them. Traditions develop over time; some you might not even realize are traditions until you look back. Take the opportunity to be intentional about your holiday celebrations this year!
Reference:
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/creating-holiday-traditions/
