1. Renew your meditation practice. Do NOT add meditation to your to-do list. Instead, consider it a tool to enhance your everyday experiences. Meditate while standing in line, while cooking, or while walking down the street.  A sticky note on your computer or next to your bed, with a soothing meditation, may help keep you on track.

2. Invite deep sleep:

Breathing in, I am conscious of all that I still have to do

Breathing out, I park them in my “to-do” box until tomorrow to get a good rest

3. Savor sweets. Treats are some of the best foods to savor as they are so rich in flavor. And if we really enjoy them, we are less likely to  mindlessly over-consume them. Eating while full of guilt isn’t helpful. Choose your sweets thoughtfully, and enjoy them fully!  Resource: savoring sweets meditation. 

4. Enjoy the splendor of this time. The 2011 holiday season will soon be over. Delight in the sights, smells and sounds unique to the season.  Do not miss the magical moments!

A passage on impermanence from Thich Nhat Hanh:

"Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments. Heraclitus said we can never bathe twice in the same river. Confucius, while looking at a stream, said, "It is always flowing, day and night." The Buddha implored us not just to talk about impermanence, but to use it as an instrument to help us penetrate deeply into reality and obtain liberating insight."

5. Give thanks. Recent studies show that practicing gratitude improves health, perspective and relationships.  Ancient dharma tells us that practicing gratitude reminds us that we are part of a beautiful whole, supported and loved.  When you begin to feel stressed, alone, or anxious, consider the things you are thankful for.

Photo from Flikr Creative Commons, by Felipe Holanda