It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving – and the start of the joyous holiday season – is already upon us. While I easily find joy in the celebration of abundance and presence, I know that for many of us, that joy gets buried beneath an onslaught of anxiety, stress, busy schedules, and overflowing to-do lists. Thanks to four simple practices that can be done any time of year, managing the stress we create for ourselves and maintaining the joy that underpins the very purpose of the holiday season may be simpler than you think.

Most of us give little thought to how our bodies move on a daily basis, or where we are physically in space. We move through our days at a hurried pace, focusing on the future or the past, instead of fully immersing ourselves in the present moment.

But what if we did?

We’ve all been trapped. Trapped in the vicious cycle of speeding up when we need to slow down, pushing forward when we need to hit pause. But the fact is, if we can’t find a way out – the stress, the exhaustion, the fatigue – will only keep us from moving forward.

 But what if the solution requires less effort and more ease?

It happens to the best of us.

Negative self-talk, self-deprecating comments, words that chip away at the fragile container of our self-worth.

As a result, we second-guess our decisions, we shy away from new experiences and opportunities, and we lose sight of what makes us unique – until we’re only pale reflections of the people we’re meant to be. 

But we have the power to change the script when we choose a new inner monologue.

Whether we’re busy worrying about a potential future event or fixating on a past mistake, mental time travel disconnects us from the present moment and takes us out of our bodies. With social media and technology competing for our attention now more than ever, it’s far too easy for us to ignore the people, places, and opportunities before us and lose ourselves in mindless behavior.

Convincing each other – and ourselves – that the pace at which we’re moving is out of our hands is merely a justification tactic for a misalignment of priorities. When we resort to removing responsibility from ourselves for the way we spend our time, we’re masking the intuitive feeling that our current patterns are not giving us what we need to thrive emotionally, physically, spiritually – and everything in-between.

It’s official: spring is upon us. And with this “season of new beginnings” comes a renewed energy, an awakening of the ideas and tasks that may have lain dormant in the dark of winter.

Pausing to recognize the emotions we’re feeling in the present moment as we move through these shifts can help us connect to our intuition and break through the barriers that keep us stagnant.

By developing a routine that helps you enhance your time management, productivity, and overall level of fulfillment, you can make small changes that impact your life in a big way.