The Holiday season is coming, and for most people just thinking about it makes their blood pressure go up, the adrenaline is already pumping, we are already stressing out and it’s not even there yet.

The end of the year is just around the corner, everyone is wrapping things up before the end of the year, ….and before the ink is dry on this year’s results, the counter is already ticking for next year’s goals.

Winter has not officially begun yet and already we feel tired, exhausted, the winter blues are already kicking in, …

Start eliminating, start simplifying your life … to simply HAVE a life!

We falsely believe that if we just give it this extra push, everything will be okay, we will have caught up with everything that is still waiting for us on our to do lists … but we never have…

I love sharing what I learned from Courtney Carver, one of my wonderful mentors, and when I try to catch up on things-to-do I remember her words:

“If catching up would work,

you’d be caught up by now”.

Interesting thought to ponder, isn’t it?

Stand still for a moment and notice how much you’re pressuring yourself, how often you think: you’ve not done enough yet, you still need to do this and that.

Stop these thoughts and start here and now:

to be more relaxed, to be kinder, to be less demanding towards yourself and others. The globe really keeps spinning around whether you’ve finished all the items on your to do list or not. So:

Put less on your to do lists.

Ask less perfection of yourself (remember last week’s blog ‘Stop… just stop for a minute’).

Plan less so that your agenda is not overloaded.

Be less hours awake, sleep is an absolute essential part of being healthy.

Consume less, the less you buy, the less useless stuff you’ll have lying around, the less clutter in your house.

Eat less, drink less: your body is your temple, not a dumpster.

Have less: everything you own, owns you.

Worry less about what other people might think. Have you ever considered the fact that you actually might be doing them a huge favor by doing less?? By doing less, you give them the permission to do less too, to consume less, to be less perfect, to take some rest, to take some time off, to actually start taking care of themselves!

I’ll quote Courtney again here from her ‘Rest manifesto’*

“Contrary to popular belief, rest is not a reward

but instead an essential part of your health, your healing journey (a.k.a. your life).”

We all grew up hearing over and over again, and therefor having these false beliefs:

Working is what will be rewarded.

Resting is being lazy.

Taking a break is for the weaklings.

You can do more than you think.

Just push yourself to do the most possible.

Sitting around doing nothing is for losers.

There is always some chore you can do.

And we neglect what damage this does:

to people’s health,

to people’s well-being,

to relationships,

to work results (yes, isn’t that hilarious? It would be if people were not suffering so much because of it),

to overall well-being,

to tolerance,

yes, even to having peace: inner peace as well as peace, harmony in the world.

My invitation for you this week now that the year is coming to an end, is:

become still and consider how you will start the new year, how you will live from now on, what path you will walk from now on. Make your choice now!

If you want to start living instead of being lived, instead of playing catch-up all the time, instead hopping around like a nervous squirrel, if you want to be healthy and happy, remember one word: LESS!

Clear out your house: the less stuff, the less clutter, the better you’ll feel!

Make your agenda as light as possible: that does not mean you can’t do stuff, no, just make sure you have spare time, make sure you have time to charge your batteries, time to know what is really important to you, time to enjoy where you are and what you are doing right now.

Cleanse your body by sleeping enough: sleep deprivation is a form of torture: why do you keep torturing yourself???

Cleanse your body by eating less junk, by drinking less alcohol, less sugared drinks, less chemical based drinks.

Shape up your body by exercising more, by moving your body, by going outside and breathe in the fresh air.

Clear out the cobwebs in your mind by worrying less, by holding less grudges, by forgiving more, by loving more, by being more grateful.

Lighten your spirit by overthinking less, by learning to go with the flow, by realizing the Universe has your back, by learning how to relax, by starting to meditate on a daily basis, by believing that love is the answer to all.

My book ‘Less is Yes!’** is a very practical guide to simplify your life step by step. The more you eliminate in your life, the more energy you’ll feel flowing, the lighter you’ll feel, the happier you’ll become. I think now is as good a time as ever to switch gears: switch down, not up!!!!

Slow down. Breathe.

It’s your life we’re talking about.

Get rid of all the too much, of all the unnecessary ballast that is holding you down.

Know that, as Raphaëlle Giordano*** talks about in her book: “Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une.” (Your second life begins when you realize you only have one), your life is happening right now, this is it, it’s now that you have to live your dreams, there is no second part of life where you get to do what you love, it’s now that you have to do it, it’s now that this ‘second life’ is happening.

Give yourself the best present ever:

Simplify your life,

do less,

have less,

want less.

and you’ll experience a huge shift in your thinking, in your feeling, in your being.

The less you need, the more content you’ll be.

The less you own, the more you’ll use and enjoy what you have.

The less you do, the more you’ll be present and enjoy what you are doing right now.

The less you ask, the more fulfilled you’ll be.

The less you have, the less hassle you’ll have.

The less you worry, the more relaxed you’ll feel.

The less you push and try to do it all, the more satisfied you’ll feel.

Enough is enough and it’s up to you to define that “enough”.

A whole new wave of possibilities will present itself, you’ll feel relieved, you’ll feel as if you’ve woken up, as if a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders, as if the sun has broken through the clouds.

I wish you with all my heart:

the courage you’ll need to let go, the ‘knowing why’ you want to do this, and all the happiness and joy you’ll feel once you’ve simplified your life, once you simply

live and enjoy life!

Thank you all for reading me, supporting me and following me on Medium!

Katrien

www.lifecoachwomen.be

www.lannoo.be/nl/less-yes

www.medium.com/@katriendegraeve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*”The Rest Manifesto: 10 new rules to help you reclaim your right to relax.” Courtney Carver

** “Less is Yes!” Katrien Degraeve

***”Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une” Raphaëlle Giordano

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