This is the time of year when everyone is making a list and checking it twice. With endless “To Do” lists, “gift” lists, “holiday card” lists, “holiday food shopping” lists, one’s life can seem like a never-ending list. For anyone who is also dealing with infertility at this time of year, life can seem more regimented and busier than ever, what with paying attention to one’s cycle, injections, hormone levels, body temperature and ovulation windows. This can add a double wallop of stress to an already hectic time, never mind the emotional toll infertility can already take. This is also a tough time to be receiving holiday cards festooned with photos of newborns or families brimming with babies. For this, we have one word for you: mindfulness. No one knows the benefits of mindfulness more than Jon Kabbet-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction program, or BMSR. It seems easy, mindfulness. Simply relax, pay attention and fall into a moment aware of your surroundings, sensations, light, colors, emotion. But with an endless loop of tasks to be done and things to check off on our lists, never mind the tug of Iphones, Ipads and social media, the holidays can go by in a blur of race and rush and haste, with no time to appreciate the season and its many gifts—things like hope, joy and peace. This is when a little mindfulness practice can help, and so we offer here some resources, articles and, dare we admit, a list of things you can incorporate into these hectic days. We hope this helps to alleviate stress, ultimately providing you with more joy.
Wishing you peace and mindfulness throughout the holidays and into the New Year.
Jon Kabet-Zin and “What is Mindfulness? The founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction explains”
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction courses at UC San Diego