Taking A Personal Sabbatical

During November and December, the holidays are beginning to roll around, and in this subtle moment, life becomes a little slower and more meaningful. The world starts to feel the joy of the holiday spirit as you realize spending time with the ones you love is essential. Although society capitalizes on marketing the commercialization of Christmas, this holiday season is about joy, love, and peace on Earth. 

I took a road trip to visit my family recently, which was the best thing I decided to do. I knew after relocating, staying with a friend temporarily, and establishing a new career path, a mental reset was vital for me. I was determined to get some rest, let go of the past six months, and relish a new beginning. However, I knew taking a personal sabbatical was the motivation I needed to move forward. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to reset and incorporate a sabbatical in your life. A sabbatical is a period of rest or time away. It is beneficial to reflect on the past moments in the year and begin to prepare for the year ahead. I encourage you to opt out of the busyness and tap into rest and enjoyment for the holiday season.

Here are a couple ways to start your holiday sabbatical:

1. Take a month away from social media in November or December.
2. Keep track of your sleep schedule (with a sleep app such as Calm or Samsung Health)
3. Make a list your favorite Christmas movies to watch or get a subscription to Frndly for the Hallmark Channel. (I pay only 6.99 annually to enjoy Hallmark)

Here are a couple of blog post to prepare you for the holiday season:

Embracing A Season of Hygge

The Art of The Pause…..

Generating Gratitude Daily…..

Also if you need a dose of self-care this year get my book, 28 Days of Love: A Self-Love Journey. (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and whereever you enjoy buying your favorite books).

Rest in the Unrest….

Access this podcast episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lOu902ClABCvbmkUql7Eu?si=1S0YQ5quR_qKAxwVmXtfbg&dl_branch=1

When significant changes occur in your life, sometimes, there can be a sense of turmoil. The unrest produces fear, anxiety, and overwhelm because we don’t know how everything will fall into place. However, if we learn to embrace change, the path of uncertainty becomes clearer to navigate.

Sometimes the restlessness we feel is subliminal to the unrest we create within ourselves. Instead of surrendering, we choose to fight the unknown due to our fear of change. Change can sometimes be hard to embrace; however, the thing on the other side could be the best thing we could imagine. And when we are challenged to do something different, there can be a state of resistance, yet it pushes us to become a better version of ourselves.

Here are three simple ways to let go, stop fighting the old, and embrace the newness of change.

1. Evaluate what you need to let go. Purging, detoxing, and removing the unnecessary will clarify the direction you need to go.
2. Stop resisting the change. When you take small steps then you will create bigger strides towards your goals.
3. Embrace the rest. When you let go, surrender to the ebbs and flow of life, you will realize that everything is working out in your favor in the end.

30 Days of Stillness

In a world filled with the consumption of busyness it is very unusual in our American culture to take time to be still. Since I have been back in the United States it seems as if we consistently glorify busyness, as if it is a badge of honor. The glorification of being busy has caused many diseases, stress, breakdowns and much more for the American culture. People identify with the words “hustle”, “grind” and “go-getter” as a way to celebrate their busy lives. Too often we confuse productivity with busyness and vice versa. Therefore, slowing down is never a thought because we do more to be more to get more. Instead of finding the beauty in simplicity we rush through life missing out on it.

I remember when I lived abroad I cherished the simplicity of life and enjoyed the moments of downtime. Simplicity was not so foreign to me until I came back to the US.  I began to yearn for the days where being present in the moment was a joy. Although, I’ve been  back in the US for 11 years now I still have not adjusted to the hustle and bustle of busyness. However, I made a vow to myself to get back to the life of simplicity!

Every summer I spend time strategizing where I want to go and who I plan to visit yet, this summer I wanted to do something different. I decided to spend 30 days being still; doing absolutely nothing. And to be honest, I found so much enjoyment in relaxing, slowing down and being present in the moment. Although, you may not be able to take 30 days off to be still but you can pick a day to do absolutely nothing.

Here are a couple of things I learned from my month of slowing down.

1. It can wait. Sometimes what you think is a priority is not a priority so rearrange your list and take some time to slow down.

2. Staycation.  Staycations are the best vacations because it allows you to rest and refresh your whole being.

3. Stop chasing people. I spent too many summers and holidays on the road visiting people who had no intentions of visiting me. Save your gas and money for a trip you want to take alone.

4. Become a priority in your own life. Stop waiting until other people put you as a priority on their list. It is time you become number 1 on your own list.

5. Stillness is mindfulness. When you are consumed with the present moment you see the present in everyday living.

So, take the time to disconnect yourself from the spirit of busy and embrace the joys of living in the moment. 

Which lesson will you implement this week? Let me know in the comments.