The holiday spirit can bring out the heart hero in many of us. We feel inspired to be more charitable and help others. We find ourselves giving in the ways of favors, time, presents, visits, money and our services and more. Giving nurtures the heart and soul in us as well as those we give to. Yet to enjoy the holidays without becoming overwhelmed, over stretched and over committed we want to call on our inner heart hero for help.
This holiday season ask yourself what is your giving sweet spot? What can you do freely without overlooking your own balance? Even the most generous of hearts can sometimes use a gentle reminder to practice self-care so we can remain resilient throughout the holiday season.
Here are a few tips to care for the hero inside you:
- Remember to make yourself a priority. Building inner resilience requires self-care. Call on your inner heart hero to help make it happen. Make a commitment to do at least one nurturing activity a week—starting now.
- Remember to give yourself a break! Use your heart hero power to trade negative self-talk for self-kindness. Negative thoughts use precious energy that could go towards something productive. Replace them with positive, compassionate messages to give a real boost to your self-worth.
- Match body and mind. The mind and body are so interconnected that even our heart rhythms reflect what we’re feeling. Intentionally shift your heart rhythms to a coherent pattern to increase inner peace and ease throughout the holiday season. The Inner Balance™ app and the emWave2® device are tools to teach you how.
- Create a positive self-mantra. Choose a simple short phrase; repeat it every day. A mantra should speak to the emotional experience of what you’d like to create inside.
- I am loving and kind towards myself first. This allows me to give to others from my place of balance.
- Honoring and making time for my inner stillness practice will deepen my heart connection with others.
- I appreciate myself for all that I am and all that I am becoming.
- Let it go! When interactions or situations trigger flared responses that send the mind on a negative tangent, ask your inner hero if this is really a good use of your energy and time? Use the Quick Coherence technique to realign with your authentic heart and shift to a more neutral approach.
Giving from the heart can be uplifting and deeply rewarding, just remember, you deserve the same heroic spirit—compassion, love, patience, and forgiveness—that you give to others.
Take care,
Your Friends at HeartMath
