Avoid the stress of the holidays, and enjoy yourself, by being present and thankful.

Let’s face it, the whirlwind of Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season can be a stressful time of year. Between trying to pull off a seamless Thanksgiving dinner that accommodates everyone’s food allergies and preferences, to shopping for holiday gifts and making homemade treats for everyone on your list, the time between Halloween and New Year’s just flies by–and often without us taking the time to smell the fir trees.

Get off the Christmas cookie  treadmill this year and take the time to enjoy your holidays by being more present and appreciating all that you have for which to be thankful. I know it seems like idealistic, but it is simple to slow down and make each moment of this joyous season count.

Need some inspiration? Of course, you do. We all need some inspiration to unwind, de-stress, be present in the moment, and grateful for the good in our lives. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, so take a look at our suggestions for being present and thankful this season.

How to Be Present and Thankful This Thanksgiving

1. Share Your Daily Gratitude – Some folks make a point of sharing one thing they are grateful for every day on social media. It’s a great exercise for pushing out the negative in our lives and helping to focus on all the positive.
2. Giving Thanks at the Thanksgiving Table – The Thanksgiving table is an obvious place to share your thanks. Take turns sharing things about which you are thankful while eating the Thanksgiving meal. It’s also a great way to avoid those awkward politically charged discussions at the table!
3. Mother Nature Mindfulness – Getting out in nature is a wonderful and proven way to get yourself to be present and mindful. Whether it is a walk in the woods, along the waterside, or just a bike ride down to the local park, nature has a way of helping to bring perspective into our daily lives.
4. Journal Your Thanks – If you aren’t into sharing what you are thankful publicly on social media, jot down your daily affirmation in a journal instead. You don’t have to share it with the world to make it meaningful.
5. Avoid the “Perfection” Trap of Social Media – Remember that most of those seemingly perfect pies, tablescapes, and recipes you see on Pinterest and Instagram are carefully curated. Don’t beat yourself up when your pie doesn’t turn out just like the picture. It’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.
6. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Sometimes, this seems to be easier said than done, but remember to keep perspective. If the gravy doesn’t turn out, have a laugh about it and move on. Spending time with your family should be the focus.
7. Schedule Time for Yourself – Don’t forget to schedule some time for yourself this season. Whether it’s a hot bath, a long run, or a good book and some tea, remember to give yourself quiet time. You can’t appreciate the good in your life if you are always on the go.
8. Give Back – This time of year is busy, but do make some time to give back by volunteering at the local food bank, being a mentor, or for supporting another good cause. Sometimes taking care of yourself means taking care of others.
9. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone – It’s easy to get in a rut with your daily routine and feel like you are just going through the motions. Be more present by trying something new to shake you out of your rut. Take a class, volunteer, take up yoga, learn a new language, but do something outside your normal routine.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Thanksgiving Dinner Survival Tips for Hosting a Stress-Free Celebration

11 Thanksgiving Crafts to Start Now for Setting Your Holiday Harvest Table

Reduce Food Waste this Thanksgiving: Prep Less, Eat Less and Be Thankful for Enough

Image: Thanksgiving Dinner via Shutterstock

The post Simple Ways to be Present and Thankful This Thanksgiving appeared first on EcoSalon.

Addressing the idea of “good” and “bad” foods once and for all, a slew of new books on mealtime as meditation are challenging conventional diet thinking. Is it possible that the key to weight loss is not about what you eat, but the way you eat it?

Once upon a time in America, people ate three separate meals a day. Sitting down, at a table. When they ate, they talked to other people and did not eat or even drink anything until the next time they sat down at a table, with people, four to six hours later.

Today, as we perpetually graze, eating while we at our desks or in front of the TV–seemingly uncomfortable to travel more than 2 blocks without clutching a cup of coffee or a water bottle–the idea of proper mealtimes does indeed seem like a tale from a long forgotten time. But like all winning fairy tales, at the heart of it is common sense, simplicity and truth.

Rising obesity rates, type 2 diabetes in children, and perhaps just as pressing, a growing sense of restlessness evident in just about everyone you meet, all point to the need for a shift in thinking. Eating “mindfully,” savoring every mouthful and connecting to the simple pleasures of the table are great ways to  avoid weight gain and slow down our increasingly frenetic-paced lives.

Here are 3 of the best books that tackle the issue, providing some simple tools to get started, and help you discover what you’re really hungry for:

1. Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food By Dr. Chozen Bays

Drawing on her research and experiences as a physician and meditation teacher, Dr. Jan Bays offers a book full of advice on how to use the power of awareness to understand the seven types of hunger. The book includes a 75 minute audio program with the author’s guided exercises for getting started with mindful eating.

2. Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth

An engaging story of Roth’s journey of compulsive dieting that led to her gaining and losing more than 1,000 pounds in 17 years, that finally ended when she resolved to never go on another diet again. Inspiring women to nurture the emotional needs that are at the root of binging and restricting patterns of self-abuse, Roth’s book is a humorous, comforting and deeply affective read.

3.  Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. By Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung

In the tradition of the Buddhist practice of Loving-Kindness (Metta), Nutritionist Dr Lilian Cheung and world-renowned mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn show us how to tune into our body’s own wisdom about what, when, and how much to eat while developing a sense of compassion for the struggle so many of us have with eating.

Top Image: Mike Johnson, TheBusyBrain.com

The post Mindful Eating: The Ultimate Diet Solution? appeared first on EcoSalon.