Adapted from a LinkedIn Article by Kalindi Jog

Winter’s chill and Holiday Spirit make the warmth of family, good food, and crackling fires even more magical. It’s a time to slow down to appreciate simple things, reminding us that magic exists even in mundane moments.

Contrary to what my kids’ Christmas lists may suggest 😉, we don’t need extravagance to feel awe and wonder; it’s about seeing the miracles in everyday life, as children’s author Hans Christian Andersen said. We often miss these moments due to busyness, but once we realize this, we can live more fully.

When I notice my feelings and surroundings, whether it’s appreciating sunlight shining through the window onto our sleepy dogs or a stranger’s humanity, I notice the miracle of each moment.

The miracle of each moment is born when I stop looking past it to the next thing. When I stay in tune, instead, with exactly what I am doing, I can find greater appreciation in whatever it may be.

I can appreciate the fullness of a hearty laugh with my daughter, breathing fresh air as I rush a forgotten item to the kids’ car before they take off for school 😆, or the early winter snowflakes meandering lazily from the sky.

As amazing as this sounds, how do you get there? The question is valid: for families that struggle with ADHD, executive function, or mental health challenges, slowing down to enjoy the moment may as well seem like climbing Mount Everest; self regulation and calm may seem way too far out of reach. Here is where tuning into the five senses offers a hidden gem.

Capturing Calm With the Five Senses

One way to practice capturing calm is to turn directly to the five senses. This practice has been particularly successful in helping anxiousness and anxiety in humans with autism, and the application is growing! This particular exercise is taken from the University of Rochester Medical Center, but you can find it across mental health communities.

This five-step exercise can help to ground you in the present when your mind is bouncing around between various anxious thoughts.

Before starting this exercise, pay attention to your breathing. Slow, deep, long breaths can help you maintain a sense of calm or help you return to a calmer state. Once you find your breath, go through the following steps to help ground yourself:

• 5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. It could be a pen, a spot on the ceiling, anything in your surroundings.
• 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. It could be your hair, a pillow, or the ground under your feet.
• 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This could be any external sound. If you can hear your belly rumbling that counts! Focus on things you can hear outside of your body.
• 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. Maybe you are in your office and smell pencil, or maybe you are in your bedroom and smell a pillow. If you need to take a brief walk to find a scent you could smell soap in your bathroom, or nature outside.
• 1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like—gum, coffee, or the sandwich from lunch?

Magic in Music

I have also found that listening to music works especially well for helping me slow down to capture the magic of the present moment. Try listening to a favorite Christmas song, or one that brings out feelings of thankfulness. Notice all of the sensory references! Two of my favorites for this time of year are “How Great Thou Art,” and “Oh Holy Night.”

I’ve included the Pentatonix versions for you here. If you enjoy a powerful, family-friendly a cappella concert, put them on your list!

OK, and I just can’t resist adding this one too – There Can Be Miracles When You Believe with Maren Morris.

Something about returning to the senses, reconnecting the link between our body, mind, and surroundings, becomes a reassuring act.