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Holiday Movies, Music, Decorating, Evening Walks and more as stress reducers during these uncertain times…

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Here are some of the things I love to do as the December clock ticks down to the year’s end that help boost my mood. See articles below about holiday mood boosters:

  • I love to watch holiday movies (I enjoy the classics as well as I’m a Hallmark fan), and it takes me away from other worries of my day. I really do come away with laughs and feeling good.
  • I decorate the house with the tree, indoor and outdoor lights and other festive décor. Since March we’ve seen the same view of inside our house so it is a nice change.
  • I listen to holiday music while working or doing other indoor activities.
  • My husband and I have enjoyed evening walks around the neighborhood and all the twinkling lights. It has really changed up our mood after being in front of our work screen all day. The only tough part is we usually go on our walk just after our work hours and most are cooking their dinners and the aromas smell so delicious.

What have you been doing to change things up and enjoy the festivities of your holiday celebrations? Check out some of the articles listed below

Be sure to join the Healthy Workplace Working Group for our Friday Breakaway Moments on Holiday Movie Trivia & Discussion, at 12:15pm. Meeting ID: 915 9858 3117. It should be a fun and interesting discussion about our favorite holiday movies.

Here is the holiday music list created for our 2020 Year-End event. Spotify is a free app.

Resources/articles to read (thanks to Natalie for finding these):

Holiday Stress: How to Cope

Holiday Decorations Can Help Boost Your Mood

Holiday Movies to Get You in the Festive Mood

Healthy Holiday Challenge and HWWG Walks

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Each year I sign up for the UCI Holiday Challenge, and it has helped me stay focused on getting through the holiday season with some great weekly tips and reminders. Join with me and your UCI colleagues and sign up.

You can also join us on our HWWG Walking Wednesday or Fit Friday walks. Look for our email announcements and add it to your calendar.

Sign up to lead a walk as we are in need of December walk leaders.

 

Challenge Yourself This Holiday Season. Join the UCI Healthy Holiday Challenge.

Don’t wait for the New Year to start your healthy resolutions. Jumpstart your well-being this holiday season with the UCI Healthy Holiday Challenge! Set your own personal goals and practice habits that support a healthy lifestyle throughout the holiday season with your colleagues.

UCI Healthy Holiday Challenge – Join Now

November 18, 2019 – January 10, 2020

Register By: November 18, 2019

Join the challenge, download and print your Personal Goal Tracker, read your weekly challenge emails for tips, resources, and motivation, track your progress, and report your results.

All participants will receive:

·        Weekly emails starting Nov. 18 through Jan 10 with healthy tips, recipes, and resources for adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors

·        A online starter kit with challenge materials and Personal Goal Tracker

·        A completion gift and a chance to win raffle prizes (including gift cards and a Fitbit Charge 3)

For more information about the 2019-2020 UCI Healthy Holiday Challenge, visit: http://www.wellness.uci.edu/healthyholidaychallenge.html

 

It’s a Holiday! | Yom Kippur 2016

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Did you know that today is Yom Kippur? Well technically, Yom Kippur began yesterday (October 11) at sunset.

Yom Kippur is the Jewish new year festival, and is also known as the Day of Atonement. Click here to listen to festival music – found in our digital collections.

It is mainly observed by Samaritans, Jews and other Christian religious groups. Observance of the festival typically includes fasting, prayer, abstaining from physical pleasures and working is restricted. Celebrations can be done at home or any other particular place.  Yom Kippur is considered to be the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”. The greeting for the Yom kippur is “G’mar chatimah Tovah”, meaning “May be sealed for the good year ahead”. (http://www.yomkippur-2016.com/2016/09/yom-kippur-2016-celebration-ideas.html)

If this festival, the tradition and other Jewish observances are of interest to you, see also this ELI Talk by Rabbi Arielle Hanien, Co-Founder of the Neshama Center. In it, she explores the resonance of Jewish ritual wisdom with cutting edge neuroscience research; arguing that the ancient psychological insight of Jewish rituals offer a unique path to mental health and wholeness through an integration of senses, memory, intellect, and emotion.

G’mar chatimah Tovah to all!

 

Note: We want to be respectful of this sacred festival! If anyone has better sources to cite and describe Yom Kippur, please feel free to share it in the comments. We will revise/edit the post accordingly.