I love the holidays so much- from the 24/7 Hallmark Christmas movies, to the decor, to all the scents, and oh, the food. So I thought it would be fun to do a Slow Sober December challenge.
It has a mixture of pagan and Christmas as we know it, with a dash of mindfulness. So you can make this a holiday season worth remembering. Let’s get started.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
START A JUNK JOURNAL
Begin collecting scrap gift wrap, bows, ribbons, gift receipts, etc. and make a Christmas/Holiday themed junk journal. It’s such an amazing way to preserve a fragment of your history while exploring your creativity. Pinterest and YouTube have some great inspiration and tutorials if you’re not sure where or how to start.
MAKE A HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
Music does wonders for the soul- it gives us the words we don’t always know how to say, makes us feel things we didn’t know we felt, and it has the power to heal us. Take some time today to create a holiday playlist- one that you can come back to year after year.
Not up for it or don’t have time? Click here for a holiday playlist.
CREATE A NEW TRADITION
Whether that’s creating one salt dough ornament per year (here’s a great DIY), visiting a Christmas tree farm, or going to your local Christmas market, traditions make the holidays so much more fun. It’s that thing you wait all year for and each time it comes around, it doesn’t disappoint. Begin a new holiday tradition for yourself.
BURN A CANDLE
There’s something so calming about a burning candle, especially after a long day at work. The best part is it requires no effort from you. If you have a few minutes to spare, look into candle flame meanings and give yourself a reading.
BUY A BOOK
In Iceland, they gift books and read them on Christmas Eve. How can you not love this? So in the spirit of slowing down, buy yourself a book. Wrap it up because you deserve a wrapped present and cuddle up on the couch or in bed Christmas Eve and read the night away.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
There’s a printable bookmark for your new book.
SIMPLE PLEASURE
Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to find the perfect gift, having the best recipes, or looking for decor that’s just right, that we forget simplicity is what it’s really all about. All you need are a few minutes today for a simple pleasure- the scent of a candle, that first sip feeling of your morning coffee, or laying in bed for a few extra minutes.
MAKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE
If you’re like me, you’ll probably eat more candy than what actually goes on the gingerbread house. But that’s part of the fun. If you don’t have the time to decorate an entire house, decorating gingerbread cookies counts. It’s just as much fun, especially if you do taste audits along the way. And be sure to take pics for your Holiday themed junk journal.
WISHING TREE
Wishing trees bring us back to the innocence of youth, when all it took was hope to carry us into the future. They’re also easy to make. All you need is an open pinecone and 12 pieces of scrap paper. You can dip your pinecone in melted wax if you want. For the next 12 days, write one wish per day on a piece of paper. Scroll it up and place it in between each branch. When you have all 12 wishes, safely burn your wishing tree.
MAKE A SIMMER POT
This is perfect for you if you want to feel festive without the Christmas decor. Just round up a few ingredients and make a stove top simmer pot. Cinnamon sticks, cloves, and oranges are a great combination. You can also use essential oils in a diffuser.
TIP: Pour some of the liquid from your simmer pot into a spray bottle and add a bit of witch hazel for a room spray.
DIY YOUR GIFTS
I don’t know about you but I much prefer handmade and homemade over store bought gifts. The fact that someone took the time to make something means so much. If you’re short on time, you can take the ingredients from your simmer pot (yesterday’s tip) and put them in gift bags or jars. It’ll only take a few minutes.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
There are gift tags in the bundle.
WRITE A CHRISTMAS CARD FOR YOURSELF
Have you ever written a card for yourself? It’s awkward when you first do it because you don’t really know what to say- it’s almost like you’re a stranger to yourself. But it also makes it the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with who you are by writing the words you wish others would say to you.
GRATITUDE
At times, gratitude can feel so overwhelming, especially if your world is caving in on you. But it’s in those moments we need it the most. Not to diminish our feelings or trauma, but to lean into gratitude for what we have right now. Find gratitude today, even if it’s for only one thing.
MAKE CHRISTMAS POPCORN
Christmas popcorn gives you the best of both worlds- sweet and savory. It’s not healthy, but it’s that once a year thing you (not so) secretly look forward to. The best part is you can throw anything in there- marshmallows, pretzels, cookies, brownies, chocolate, candy, or a little of everything.
FIND A REASON TO SMILE TODAY
It’s easy to get frazzled this time of year, especially if the holidays aren’t your thing. Which is why you need to find a reason to smile. Even if it’s recalling a memory so you can laugh at something ridiculous, do it. And smiling and laughing boosts your immune system. So do it for you and your health.
GO TO A HOLIDAY FESTIVAL
It’s so easy to get lost in all of the handmade creations you stumble upon from artisans, especially at holiday festivals. If your town doesn’t have one, this is the perfect occasion to explore a new town and try something different. It can even become your new tradition.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
MAKE S’MORES (the old fashioned way)
Don’t have a fireplace or indoor fire pit? Light an unscented candle and skewer your marshmallow. Place it over the candle until it’s roasted the way you like. Then make your sandwich. You’ve now got your very own (semi) campfire s’mores.
CHRISTMAS MOVIE MARATHON
If you’ve been around for a while, then you know I’ve been marathoning Christmas movies with Hallmark since October. Today shouldn’t be any different. Unplug your phone along with the internal dialogue and enjoy some quiet time with Christmas movies all day long. It makes for the perfect almost winter weekend.
EXPLORE HOLIDAY DISPLAYS
When I was growing up, my sister and I used to go to Macy’s Herald Square every black Friday to look at their holiday displays. They’re some of my fondest memories. There’s something about seeing all the Christmas decor- you feel something, viscerally. Take some time today, even if it’s just five minutes, to explore the store fronts and get into the spirit of the holidays.
SMUDGE
With so much going on between family, work, and friends, all of the obligations can run you down. Especially if you’re around people who drain your energy. Take a time out today and cleanse your energy. It only takes a few minutes and restores your mind, body & soul.
SECRET SANTA
Seriously, who doesn’t love a random surprise gift? It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, just a small token of happiness. You can put one of your DIY gifts in a neighbor’s mailbox, buy the person behind you at the coffee shop a cup of coffee, or leave a giftcard on a coworker’s desk.
FIRE PURIFICATION
Today marks the Winter Solstice, a time to journey inwards and release anything that has no place for your new life. Which makes this the perfect day for a fire purification. Write down everything you want to release with pen and paper. When you’re done, safely burn the piece of paper as a symbol of releasing the parts of yourself that you’ve outgrown.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
MAKE A YULE LOG
Don’t want to take the time to find a piece of log and get all of your supplies? Make an alternative. You’ll need a cinnamon stick, dried cedar, pine needles, and some twine. Place the cedar and/or pine through the hole in the cinnamon stick. Starting at the base, wrap twine around the cinnamon stick all the way up and back down. Tie a knot with the piece you started the bottom with. That’s it- you’re very own mini yule log that you can use as a smudge stick too.
ONLY F*CK YES
If it doesn’t set your soul on fire, then it’s not a f*ck yes. Live life on your terms. Blaze your own trails. Live with wild passionate abandon filled with only f*ck yes. Say no to anything and everything that doesn’t bring you happiness or in alignment with who and where you want to be.
WRITE A PRAYER
Merry almost Christmas! Our thoughts are the source of our reality, according to quantum physics. Thoughts are also energy. Words are that powerful. So take some time today to write a prayer for what you deeply want but are too afraid to speak it into existence. Let those silent thoughts become your guiding light.
COME BACK TO YOUR BREATH
Merry Christmas! This is supposed to be that slow, peaceful day where you have a permanent smile on your face. At least, that’s how it seems in Hallmark Christmas movies. But it never works out quite like that, does it? Take a moment (or ten) to come back to your breath today so you can find peace within.
TAKE A DAY OFF
You deserve a day off without feeling any guilt. That includes lounging around in pj’s all day long. Unplug your devices, turn off your mind if you want, and just relax. Do it without thinking about what you need to do tomorrow, who you forgot to text back, what your family needs from you.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
LEAN INTO FAITH
When you look back on your life, you can see how cyclical it is. There were beautiful moments and there were times you prefer you didn’t have to live through. It’s bittersweet. So if you’re feeling that things aren’t great, lean into faith. Because your faith, fueled with hard work, has gotten you this far. Imagine how much further it can take you.
WIND DOWN WITH HOT COCOA
There’s just something about a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day. It’s cozy and comforting. And it nourishes your soul only the way a cup of hot cocoa can. If you’ve got a few extra minutes, making it from scratch instead of a packet makes all the difference. Be sure to add a sprinkling of salt. It gives a velvety, decadent texture to the hot cocoa.
SEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
It gets kind of depressing after the new year when all of the Christmas lights and displays get taken down. So if you haven’t yet, use this as an opportunity to see all the lights your eyes can handle. Visit as many places as you can to satiate yourself. And please remember to take pics for your junk journal.
MAKE A WISH
I know we already made a wishing tree but it is the season of magic and miracles. What would it be if we didn’t make all the wishes our hearts desire? Write one wish (or more if you want) on a bay leaf. When you’re done, safely burn the bay leaf, with faith that your wishes will manifest.
WILD CARD
Pick one of your favorite things from the past thirty days and do it again. This is about you living the way you want without any inhibitions. Besides, you only live once so you should enjoy this time and be a kid all over again. Happy New Year! May this be the year you have your glow up and find what you’re looking for.
DOWNLOAD YOUR SLOW SOBER DECEMBER FREEBIES.
Hope you enjoy this challenge! I’ll see you soon…in the meantime, love yourself so much that even a Hallmark Christmas movie would be jealous.
