It’s that time again…December.  The child within us remembers the sense of magic we felt as children during the holidays and we so want to recreate that each year for our families and ourselves; it’s also not a bad distraction for those of us who aren’t winter lovers.  So we add in a whole new level of expectations and obligations that compete and clash with our regular day-to-day responsibilities.  Add in insufficient resources to achieve our dreams (time, money and space amongst others) and you get a great recipe for enormous stress.

How to cope?  First and foremost, find some time each week to dedicate yourself to a restful activity that quiets your mind and eases your spirit; it will renew you for the next conflict and give you fresh perspective on how to accomplish your dreams.  For each person there are different solutions: a walk in nature, a quiet time for a bath, a little time to read, meditation, yoga, communing with plants, crafting with your hands, whatever works for you.  My personal favorite solution is acupuncture; I joke about acupuncture being “adult naptime” but the truth is it’s an exquisite time for the body to use its innate sense to heal itself while the mind takes a rest and heals as well.  As an acupuncturist I am there as an educated facilitator of that healing process.  As a patient, I emerge after the treatment at peace, refreshed and ready to face the crazy world we live in once more.