Holiday Perfectionism

During the holidays there's so much pressure that we put on ourselves to create the perfect experience or to be the most perfect host, parents, sibling, whatever the case may be. But what would it look like to let those expectations go? Where do our expectations even come from? And can we allow ourselves to be perfectly imperfect? These are all questions that we can begin to ask ourselves as the holidays come around. This idea of perfectionism is really just made up of our thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and beliefs. Mindfulness can help us to create an awareness of what our sense of perfection is and see if we can create a sense of spaciousness to these areas that we cling to, that we tend to want to control or obsess over. Approaching the holidays more mindfully invites us to let go of any judgments or criticisms we may feel towards ourselves and towards how we think people will perceive us. As humans, we won't get it right each and every time and that's all right. This practice shows us that however we arrive in each and every moment is okay, and it's enough. So you can close your eyes and follow along or you can also use this as a journaling practice. So just taking a moment here, just to arrive, maybe pressing pause if you need to get a piece of paper and pen, if you'd like to journal along and then beginning to settle in. So if you're sitting upright, relaxing the shoulders, connecting the feet to the floor, hands can be resting on your lap or down by your side. And if you're lying down, just resting the arms by your side, legs resting, feet facing outwards. And just taking some nice deep breaths here, each breath allowing the body and mind to soften, to relax. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. On the next out-breath, closing the eyes if you'd like, or keeping them open to a soft, gentle gaze. Returning the breath back to its natural rhythm, feeling the weight of the body pressing down into the chair or floor. Just allowing the body to be fully supported. Noticing any sounds around you in your space, and just allowing them to come and go. And just taking a moment here, just to notice how the body is feeling today. Noticing what's present. And it's okay if there's nothing there, just gently noticing, observing the body and then shifting the focus to the breath, connecting to that rising and falling sensation. Inviting you now just to notice what it means to be perfect. So bringing into your awareness, the ways in which you aim for perfection. Turning inwards with a sense of compassion and kindness, and just getting curious about what first comes to mind and allowing it to be there. No right or wrong answer, no perfect answer. Maybe there's a feeling that perfection carries, again, just noticing what that...