Get your 'sparkle' back

by Jill Palmquist

It’s the end of a long, stressful, contentious year for many of us. We’ve absorbed more than our share of anxiety over the election, over world events, and over the rising prices of…well, everything. And now, here come the holidays barreling toward us like a tinsel-decked locomotive. Ugh. How are we supposed to get in the holiday spirit when all we can muster right now is a half-hearted “bah humbug”?

Actually, the stretch between now and New Year’s is a great time to get your sparkle back and end 2024 on a high note.

I’m not talking about shopping till you drop and running the gauntlet of holiday obligations. Those things will only make the stress and exhaustion worse. I’m talking about waking up to the raw, miraculous, mind-blowing miracle that it is to be alive.

I’m talking about a mindset shift. Much like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, we all have the capacity to learn to see the same old world with fresh eyes.

It’s actually easier to retrain your brain at the holidays because all the raw materials for joy are present in abundance. Time off work. Yummy food. Parties. Shimmering trees. Candlelight. Music. The smell of baked goods. Your job is to notice all this bounty and be a witness to all the gifts the world offers us.

A few tips to help you de-Grinch-ify and get your sparkle back:

Celebrate EVERYTHING. It doesn’t matter that all the shopping isn’t done, or that bills loom, or that your gingerbread didn’t rise enough. Life will never be perfect, but there will be pleasure aplenty as long as you find a way to celebrate and feel authentic joy. Get out the good china. Light the candles. Blast holiday music. Make some DIY ornaments or home decorations. Go ice skating with your kids or build a snowman.  

Be present for every tiny, soul-filled moment. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by spending hours doomscrolling on social media. This can backfire by making you feel you’re missing out, or that your holiday plans aren’t as exciting as someone else’s. Every time you’re tempted to fall down a stressful online rabbit hole, connect with a friend, listen to holiday music, or bundle up and go outside for a long walk in the crisp, cool air. You’ll discover that the real world is much nicer than the virtual one.

Eat, drink, and be merry! Make meals a full-body experience. Food is one of the great pleasures of life. Make sure you’re not mindlessly inhaling those delectable holiday nibbles. To experience culinary joy, indulge your senses when you eat or drink. Slow down and taste every sip of your peppermint mocha and close your eyes so you can enjoy every crumb of that homemade graham cracker pie crust. The same goes for savory morsels of the season. You’re less likely to go overboard when you take time to taste and enjoy your food and drinks.  

Get some workouts on the calendar. Movement and exercise save and preserve your body’s good condition. You’ll feel much better physically and fight off pesky seasonal doldrums if you move your body all throughout the holidays. Make up at least a few fitness dates each week that you can look forward to and pencil them in on your weekly planner. If you write these appointments down and plan for them in advance, you are far more likely to stay on track.

Call on your tribe to keep you connected and grateful. Reach out to your friends, family, or chosen family and plan to do something fun and festive. Host a cookie-making party or invite everyone over to watch a holiday movie marathon. Can’t decide between Christmas Vacation and Love Actually? Hold a vote; in this case, people will be happy no matter the outcome!  

What you do isn’t as important as the decision to spend time together. You never know which of your tribe desperately needs to be invited to a fun gathering. And that’s part of the seasonal magic. You never know how your joy will touch another person’s life.

Celebrate with a spa-liday. Treat yourself to some serious self-care so you can feel physically renewed and ready for anything the season might throw at you. Enjoy a soothing bubble bath; put on a warm, comfy robe; and sip hot tea. Bonus points if you turn on sparkling lights or burn a cinnamon-scented candle. Go to bed early and catch up on your sleep.

Savor divine moments of happiness. Your present (gift) IS the present (now). We’ve got only this very moment. Everything else is the past or the future, and the future is not even guaranteed to us. That’s why it’s truly a gift to stay present. No matter what you’re doing over the next several weeks, make a point to notice what’s happening in the moment. This is where you have agency and where you can make a choice in how you feel and what you do.

This time of year can really surprise you, but only if you allow yourself to be surprised. Let your sparkle out. The dark and cold of these winter months makes it even more dazzling to behold. Be willing to see where it takes you.

Jill Palmquist is Life Time vice president and chief storyteller and the author of In This Lifetime, a coffee table book that celebrates the beauty and reminds us of the brevity of the human experience.