How to Reset after the Holidays

First and foremost, the best way to reset is to simplify. There’s so much excess during the holidays, so in order to release that, we have to stop the constant influx of stimuli.

Simplify your food.

Simplify your schedule.

Simplify your input.

Reduce screen time as much as possible.

Perhaps take a social media break.

Let your body and mind digest the excess food, indulgences, experiences, and external stimulation you’ve taken in.

Clear your mind:

A really good way to digest mental/emotional stimuli is to journal. I like to set a time for 10 minutes and free-write without stopping. Even if you have to write “I don't know what to write about” or “this is stupid, I hate writing” keep going for the full 10 minutes. Your mind will get bored of fighting against it and will eventually reveal things and feelings to you that may have been hiding. Let go of correct punctuation and just free form write. It’s very healing and cleansing to your mind when you give yourself a safe space to express what you’re thinking and feeling.

Simplify your exercise:

Go for long walks in nature, by yourself, without any electronics, like music or audio books. Just listen to the sounds of nature, let your mind roam, watch the wind and the birds. This is a great way for your mind to digest experiences you’ve had. Get curious as you walk. Look around and practice seeing with new eyes. What’s around you that you haven’t noticed before?

Do some free form movement. Put an alarm on for a set time, try 20-30 minutes, and move your body naturally, however you need. Lay on the floor, stretch, dance, do yoga, connect your movement to your breath and breathe deeply as you move.

Simplify your food:

Drink lots of water and herbal teas. Simplify your food--blended soups, vegetable juices, broth, and kitchari are amazing ways to reset your digestive system without starving yourself. Eat this way for a few days. Fast in between meals so your body can take a break from constantly digesting (let go of snacking/consuming all day long).

Practice stillness:

Sit in meditation, or listen to a guided one if meditation is hard for you, or you are new to it. Put a timer on to create a container if that is helpful.

Clean your space:

Clutter is really distracting for your mind, whether you realize it or not. Taking time to tidy up and clean up is so good for our minds and bodies. Feeling clear and clean is not just an internal practice. The spaces we reside in often reflect our internal state so practice creating beauty in the places you spend most of your time. Put things in their designated places and keep them there. Get any clutter or mess sorted out, like dishes or laundry. Dedicate a little time every day to straighten up and clean up. Over time it will become habitual and your spaces will naturally stay clean and organized.

A few simple things to enhance your space:

• Beeswax candles

• Essential oil diffusers

• Mood lighting

• Salt lamps

• House plants

• Flowers

You don’t have to do some extreme regimen or program in order to reset yourself. What can you simplify? What can you let go go of? Try this out for a week and watch yourself transform into a much more calm, grounded, and stable state of being.

If you'd like extra support with resetting after the holidays, sign up for my 6 week course-- Ayurveda 101: Know Yourself, Heal Yourself where you'll get the foundations of understanding your mind-body type, and how to make informed choices for YOU!