Every time I run into someone around this time of year, I’m bombarded. First, with the question “Are you ready for Christmas?” Then, I’m bombarded by a barrage of complaints about how there’s so much to do around this time of year. Stress management around the holidays can be tough. There is a lot going on! Instead of worrying about all the things you usually worry about—keeping the house clean, buying presents, going to every party—what if you just focused on showing up for life during this busy time?

What Does Showing Up Mean?

Showing up in this context means that you make yourself available to life.

It means:

• You bring an honest expression of yourself to everything you do.
• Your behavior matches your intentions and thoughts.
• You open yourself up to your sensations instead of numbing yourself.
• You live with observation and awareness.
• You follow your intuition.
• You live in your wholeness.

Showing Up Connects You

When you show up to your life like this, with desire, with an openness to feel, and with honesty, you have no other option but to connect with the world. In turn, that connection fills you up.

It reaches those voids that you were trying to fill with yoga that you were trying to cram into your schedule, zoning out in front of the TV at night or those intermittent nights out on the town that left you feeling lonely and empty.

You no longer live your life wondering what hit you or what day it is. You move with intention, and I’m going to venture to say that you’re kind of blissed out all day.

Why Show Up During The Holiday Season?

Don’t I have enough going on?

If you’re like the other 99% of the world, you’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off since Thanksgiving. Buying gifts, keeping an eye out for the best deals, going to your kids’ Christmas performances, making sure you have treats for the teachers, volunteering in the classroom…

Chances are you’re going through the motions, getting everything done, but feeling completely overwhelmed. You might be checking off the tasks on your list, but you also feel totally cranky, extremely exhausted and a little insane. You’re posting on Facebook, asking other moms how the hell they get through the holidays. If someone could arrange for some stress management for you, you might just make it through.

The reason you feel this way? That’s right. You’re not showing up.

How ARE You Showing Up, Then?

Do you show up to your kid’s school exuding your authentic self, or do you show up feeling insecure because you got there late and grabbed cookies from the gas station for the bake sale?

Do you show up by telling your book club that you really don’t have time to do secret Santa, or do you agree to do it and add it to your list of other mind-numbing tasks?

Do you show up by slowing down, taking the time to feel everything you do, from taking small sips of your wine (instead of downing the whole thing), or savoring the bites of food on your plate (instead of shoving two pieces of American cheese in your mouth on your way out the door)?

Do you show other people that you’re reliable and trustworthy by showing up for things they want you to do but make your subconscious distrust you by not being true to yourself?

Do you show up to playdates with a mask on, telling everyone you’re fine when you’re really struggling just to feel like you can keep your kids alive?

Showing Up = Nourishment

If you’re not showing up as your true self when you’re doing all of these things, they’re just that: Things. They’re not life. They don’t resonate with your vibration.

To put it another way, they’re not nourishing. They don’t fill you up. They don’t do anything to make you whole.

So that’s why the holidays make you feel empty, insane and a little hungover.

Yep, that’s why. Because you’re not showing up. And if you don’t show up, you don’t take anything in. And if you don’t take anything in, you’re not nourished. And if you’re not nourished, well, you’re feeling the way you feel right now. Like you just need so much more, but you can’t figure out what it is that you need.

You don’t need more tools. You don’t need stress management resources. You don’t need to try harder. (In fact, you might need less of all of this.)

You just need to show up.

You CAN show up for life, even when you’re so busy that you can’t spell your own name. I chat about it more in this video. Click here to watch it if you’re ready to stop the excuses and start showing up.