The Thanksgiving holiday is nearly here and with that comes the start of another holiday season. If you’re still unsure about where you’d like to spend the holiday, we suggest you come coastal and spend it with us. At Debordieu Rentals we have many holiday vacation rentals that would be just perfect for the holidays.

There is no better time than Thanksgiving to practice mindfulness. Too often people overdo it during the holidays and come to regret it later. Sure, it can get pretty busy and you may feel at times that you deserve a little something extra for all your hard work. That’s a good time to be mindful of what that inner voice is whispering in your ear. Don’t let it use the holidays as a way to derail your sensible eating and fitness routines.

This holiday is a great time to not only practice mindfulness but also gratitude and living in the present moment. Here are some tips to get you through the holidays in a zen-like way.

Journaling: Have a Zen-like Thanksgiving

Keep a Journal

Journaling your day-to-day life is a great mindfulness practice and a great way of capturing memories. Buy a small notebook and start writing. Write your plans for the day and your success for the day before. Choose the best time for you to write undisturbed. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning or the last thing at night.

Cooking Scents: Have a Zen-like Thanksgiving

Mindful Cooking

When you’re cooking or baking this Thanksgiving, be sure to take the time to think about each step in what you are doing. Do it mindfully and intentionally. Don’t rush.  Pay close attention to the scents and tastes of the meal as it’s being prepared. Enjoy the process.

No Waste

Throw nothing out after your holiday dinner. Leftovers can lovingly go home with friends and family. Turkey can make sandwiches and more dinners for the days ahead. Even the turkey carcass can be cooked in water for the base of a tasty turkey soup.

Meditate: Have a Zen-like Thanksgiving

Meditate

During the chaos of the holiday a daily meditation practice will help to keep you calm and centered. Just five minutes of focusing on your breathing is meditation and will bring you into a more mindful state. If you can go 15-20 minutes that’s even better. Meditation is best done early in the morning when you can sit undisturbed.

Serving Others

Holidays are the perfect time to invite others to your table to share a meal and practice serving them. Not everyone has family around and many have relocated here and left their network of friends behind. What a perfect time to establish new friendships and bring them into your fold.

Show Gratitude: Have a Zen-like Thanksgiving

Be Grateful

Above all else, Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks and being grateful for what you have. Be grateful for your health, your family and friends and the meal in front of you. Take the time to reflect on your life, your family your friends and be share that gratitude aloud for the experiences and memories that you have.

It’s often a fun exercise to keep us mindful when we go around the table and everyone talks about something that they’re grateful for this year. From the very young to the very old, this is a wonderful tradition to start if you don’t already do it.

From all of us at DeBordieu Rentals, we wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!