Reclaim Your Peace and Joy During the Holidays
- Nov 18, 2025
- 3 min read
By Jen Rigley
I’m Jen Rigley, Founder of Flourishing Over Fifty®.
The Holiday season is upon us - and if you are like me and many other women I know, you are busy (work, kids, shopping, hosting) and stressed (How to maintain any good lifestyle habits during this time? What is the perfect gift for that special friend?). The hustle and bustle of the holidays is real and it is very difficult to keep to our routines. In many areas of the country it is cold and wet, and everywhere the sun is low on the horizon - it’s dark when we wake up and when we leave the office. It’s also the time when many of us hibernate and are alone with our thoughts. We can start to feel down as we spend less time with others, less time in the sun and less time being active.
But the opposite is also true -- we have more time to dive deep into our desires and focus on activities that are most meaningful to us. A little more me time and a little less time spent on everyone else. I want to encourage you to build in time every day just for yourself, for that is how you will be able to maintain your vitality during the holidays.
A journal, a fire, a bath, a lit candle - how scrumptious is that? I invite you to step into what feels most good to you during these busy days - take the time to pamper, to heal, to cultivate joy in your special way.
For me, the holiday times were once a time that felt most depleted, most stressed and often depression would start to creep in. But one day, when facing another jam-packed day, I realized something powerful: even in the midst of the holiday swirl, we can choose ourselves, we can choose to focus on our own personal vitality.
To do this, we need to carve out some time just for us. One way to do this is with The Daily Joy Practice, part of my The Flourish JourneyTM framework that I created for overcoming challenges. This first step is the most important one - and it fits so well during the holidays because it takes just 3 minutes a day.
This first step in The Flourish Journey™ is all about creating the foundation for our vitality, for a more peaceful, intentional day which is something I know I crave during the holidays but find difficult to achieve. This practice helps you quiet your mind to hear your heart.
The Daily Joy Practice:
Sit in Stillness - spend 1 minute quieting your mind and taking some deep breaths. This is when you put your phone in silent mode and turn off the TV.
Set your Intention - spend 1 minute setting your intention for the day. This is not about accomplishing your to-do list, it is more about how you want to feel, or how you want to make others feel - it is your TO BE list.
Hold Gratitude - spend 1 minute thinking, feeling, writing, drawing or painting what you are grateful for.
By committing to these 3 activities (just 3 minutes a day) during the holidays, you have the opportunity to change the trajectory not only of your day, but you have the opportunity to change your whole Holiday outlook, and infuse it with joy, peace and happiness.
Here’s to your resilience, your joy, and to flourishing amidst the holiday hustle and bustle.
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