The holidays can be an undoubtedly stressful time of the year with all of the social, familial, and work obligations — not to mention the pressure to gift your loved ones well. While there is nothing wrong with a thoughtfully chosen tie or cookware, our Faithfully Guided team wants to offer some ideas for gifts you can give yourself and your family that help you enjoy these times even more while making memories you’ll cherish and reducing your stress levels. Read on for our insight.

Start the Day Well

One of the best ways to start your day is to assume a posture of surrender as you pray. The child’s pose from yoga works really well and is achieved by stretching your arms out with your palms facing upward.

This is an ideal time to thank God for his blessings in your life while confessing your sins and asking for His strength to carry you through what comes your way during the day.

Ask Connecting Questions

Meals are a great time to ask more profound questions than simply, “How was your day?” Instead, try the following conversation starters and see how much more engagement you’ll get from your family.

• What is hard for you right now?
• What is comforting or soothing you right now?
• What are you grateful for?
• What do you see God doing in your life right now?

Visualize Your Future

This is a worthwhile activity you can do with your whole family. Have each person write a letter to themselves from the future (e.g., December 2022), updating the person reading the letter on what they have accomplished in that time. This helps you visualize and set your intentions. This exercise helps you imagine what the year will hold for you regarding work, health, family and love, place, and space. Seek to keep setting the bar higher and remain vigilant of what God is calling you to fulfill.

Fill Your Spirit

What you read and listen to heavily influences your emotions and, by extension, your health. Be mindful of what you are exposing yourself to. A few of our recommendations for positive —- are the following.

• The Wisdom of Your Heart: Discovering the God-Given Purpose and Power of Your Emotions by Marc Alan Schelske
• The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal: A Companion Volume by Julia Cameron
• Abide Pray and Relax Meditation app for faith-based daily meditation practice

We especially encourage you to read children’s books around the table during family gatherings — yes, even with your adult children! A series we love is Theolaby by Jennie Allen.

Give Back Together

Another special way to spend the holidays is to show your children the importance of kindness. There are many ways to spread love as a family, including these simple ideas.

• Randomly pay for someone’s coffee or meal
• Leave an anonymous gift for a neighbor
• Volunteer for a local charity
• Donate to a gift-giving organization like Toys for Tots
• Put thoughtful cards on car windshields
• Send an e-gift card to a friend for coffee
• Give abundant life by donating to our Faithfully Guided Foundation

Faithfully Guided Helps You Live on Purpose

The holidays seem to make the days fly by even faster than they do usually but taking the time to slow down and approach them intentionally allows you to enjoy them more. With a bit of intention and focus on what’s important, you can make the holidays more meaningful for you and your family.

At Faithfully Guided, our caring, knowledgeable team is here to help you pursue an abundant life — physically, mentally, and spiritually. For more guidance that you can use to live well, contact us today to set up an appointment or schedule a tour.