With the holiday season rapidly approaching - it is a good time to establish some intentions for creating more ease through an often hectic time of the year.
Since Green & Flora is all about mindful living - we wanted to share some tangible tips for you to support you through these busy months ahead.
1. Set aside time - before your calendar gets filled for you.
The first thing that we know to be true is that our lives can easily be filled with obligations, busywork and reactive responses to things that happen. To prevent this as much as possible - we encourage our community to create time in your calendar to experience, slow down and enjoy.
The key here is to plan early, don’t plan too much, and actually write it down.
When these events are written in a calendar - we can mentally and physically prepare and have everyone involved from the inception of the idea. An example would be to set aside time to decorate the tree together (if that is something that is a part of your winter traditions). The time will be protected by the calendar event which will make it easier to say ‘sorry we have something on that day’. This is instead of being pulled somewhere else, and you end up having to rush to get it done before the weekend's end.
It will ensure that you will not only do the things that you want to do - but be with the people who you want to be with. As your children grow and start having their own friends and activities - this becomes even more important to create time boundaries during your year.
Not planning too much is also easier to do when things are written down because you can see in a quick glance how much you are going to be out of the house vs. at home. Slow living doesn't mean never going out - it means prioritizing personal-wellbeing, nature and focusing on quality over quantity
2. Deliberate Gift Giving
It can be very easy to fall behind on gift giving and end up grabbing something last minute. Many of us have inadvertently forgotten a teacher gift or that a friend was going to be in town.
By creating a filter for your gift giving beforehand - it can help you keep an eye out for presents that will be truly loved and appreciated by those who receive from you. A filter in this case is considered to be a set of guidelines that you make your decisions from.
At Green & Flora - we recommend keeping in mind to choose high-quality, perennial items. Think about purchasing things that will not fall apart easily/quickly, are ethically made and can be enjoyed beyond just one day.
For more ideas/examples - we will also be releasing a gift guide for you this season which will feature curated items from our shop and others to provide easy, ethical and mindfully chosen items for your loved ones.
3. Remember to go outside
Time really does slow down when we are away from our computers, ringing phones and all of our household electronics (namely our TV).
Our last little reminder to you for this holiday season is to enjoy the changing season by tuning into the outdoors - no matter the weather. Grab your cozy sweater and savor the moment by taking a stroll around your neighborhood, sitting on your front stoop or watching the leaves fall from your kitchen window. All these little moments add up to a big life experience.
We hope you enjoyed these tips for Intentional Living during a busy time of year.