Grace Between the Holidays: Enjoy the Moment Without the Guilt

Christmas is in our recent rearview mirror, and New Year’s is almost here. This in-between week can feel like a strange mix of gratitude, exhaustion, leftover desserts… and that quiet voice that whispers, “I should be doing better.”

Let’s pause and reframe that.

This week is not a test of your willpower. It’s a practice of grace.

Grace is the ability to enjoy a moment—fully—without turning it into a story of failure. It’s permission to be human while still honoring who you’ve become.

A mindful pause

Before we move on to what’s next, take a breath with me. Let’s pause before we turn the page:

In...  2  -  3  -  4  -  HOLD  -  Out...  2  -  3  -  4   

Once more:

In...  2  -  3  -  4  -  HOLD  -  Out...  2  -  3  -  4   

Great...  now...

How was your Christmas—really? Beyond the food, the lists, and the pace of it all, did you notice the unwrapped gifts—  presence, a quiet moment, a good conversation, a shared laugh, a sense of love or meaning, maybe even faith and peace? However, it went, let it be information—not a judgment. And if part of you is saying, “I wish I had slowed down more… or I wish that had gone differently,” that’s not a reason for guilt. It’s simply an invitation for grace.

This week isn’t about perfection

This is the week when the inner rules can get loud.

Maybe you indulged a little more than usual at Christmas dinner. Maybe you are like me, and dessert is your weakness. Maybe you’re planning to ring in the New Year with friends and there will be more appetizers, more sweets, and more “just this once” moments.

Here’s what I want you to know: allowing yourself grace lets you enjoy without feeling like you failed.  Not your diet. Not your lifestyle. Not your progress.

Because you need to remember that JOY is part of living.

I want this post to do something important: not limit you, not lecture you, not make you feel like you’re “slipping.” I want it to give you permission to enjoy—without guilt—and to feel understood and to feel seen, because you are not alone.

The “new you” doesn’t disappear during the holidays

Here is the mindset shift I want you to hold this week:

You are not “backsliding” because you had Christmas dinner.
You are not the “old you” because you enjoyed dessert.
You are a person with a healthier lifestyle—and that lifestyle has room for joy.

Grace still has wisdom in it

Grace is giving yourself permission to enjoy this season without the guilt story playing over and over in your head at the end of the day. It doesn’t mean ignoring what you know your body needs or stepping away from the supports that keep you well. It means you hold your choices with kindness. Enjoy what’s meaningful, stay aligned with what matters, and let your self-talk be gentle either way.

For many of us, grace also looks like intentional enjoyment—the kind you choose knowingly (not mindlessly), savor fully (not guiltily), and then release without a mental penalty.

A simple Grace Practice for this week

Not “getting back on track.” Not “starting over.” Just practicing who you already are.

1) Pause before you plate.
One breath. One intention: “I’m here to enjoy this.”

2) Sit down and remove distractions.
Because when you slow down, you actually notice what you’re eating—and what you’re feeling.

3) Choose one indulgence on purpose.
Instead of “everything because I already messed up,” try:
“I’m choosing this because it’s special—and I’m going to savor it.”

4) Speak to yourself like someone you love.
Replace: “I blew it.”
With: “I enjoyed a celebration. I’m still me.”

5) Make room for the unwrapped gifts.
The best parts of the holidays are often invisible: a peaceful morning, a meaningful conversation, a shared laugh, a memory you’ll carry.

Journal prompts (quick, powerful, and gentle)

If you want to bring this into your journal this week, here are a few prompts I love:

• What did I enjoy most about this holiday that had nothing to do with food or gifts?
• Where did I show up well for myself and others?
• What does “grace” look like in my self-talk this week?
• What is one tradition I want to carry into the New Year—because it supports the person I’m becoming?
• What do I want to feel on January 1: calm, clear, connected, energized, hopeful?

(Need a new Journal for January?  Click here to begin your year with intention and clarity with my "30 Days to Becoming Intentionally Calm" Journal  with Bonus Goal Section - Available through FGSL HERE)

 A final permission slip

If you indulged a little more than usual—at Christmas dinner, at dessert, or you plan to celebrate again as you ring in the New Year—let it be a chapter, not a verdict.

You are allowed to enjoy your life. Lifestyle medicine is meant to support sustainable wellbeing over time—not punish you for one meal, one party, or one week.

Next week, we’ll talk about stepping into the New Year with simple, realistic, kind steps—easy ways to return to what makes you feel good, without the harsh “start over” energy.

For this week: choose grace.

In Closing...

What is one word you want to carry into the New Year?

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Happy Holidays, Happy New Year & Happy You!

Love,
Mary-Anne

 

A Holiday Blessing: Love, Presence & Heartfelt Wishes From My Intentional Calm Family to Yours

There’s something sacred about this week.

The world feels softer… even if just for a moment.
Lights glow a little warmer. Hearts open a little wider.
And whether we’re ready or not, the holidays arrive with their familiar mix of nostalgia, tenderness, joy, and reflection.

This is the moment when we pause — not because our schedule slows, but because our spirit does.

This is the moment when love becomes the real story.

🌟 The Greatest Gifts Aren’t Wrapped

As we step into Christmas week, I’m reminded again and again that the most meaningful gifts we give are never found in a box.

They are presence.
They are empathy.
They are time, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understanding…
They are the quiet ways we show up for one another.

And in a season where many feel deeply blessed, others may feel deeply lonely, overwhelmed, or grieving.
Your kindness — your presence — your loving energy — may be the very thing someone needs to help them feel held, seen, or remembered.

This is what the holidays are truly about.
This is what connects us — heart to heart.

💗 You Made This Year Beautiful

As I look back on this year, I want to say something I don’t say nearly enough:

Thank you.

Thank you for being part of this Intentional Calm community.
Thank you for reading, sharing, growing, healing, reflecting, and inviting more balance and light into your life.

Every message, every conversation, every moment you chose you — it matters.
And it has been my joy and privilege to walk alongside you.

🌲 A Blessing for Your Heart This Holiday

As we enter this holy, magical, deeply meaningful week, here is my holiday blessing for you:

✨ May you feel wrapped in love — the kind that settles your nervous system and reminds you you’re never alone.
✨ May you find moments of stillness that fill you, soften you, and bring you back to yourself.
✨ May your home be a place of warmth and laughter.
✨ May your heart feel connected to the people you love, whether they’re in the room or held tenderly in memory.
✨ And may this season bring you peace, clarity, and a sense that you are exactly where you’re meant to be.

Because you are.
And you’re doing better than you think.

💞 From My Heart to Yours

Thank you for being part of my Intentional Calm Family — truly.
You inspire me, uplift me, and remind me why this work matters so deeply.

And now, as you step into the week ahead, here is your gentle reminder:

Slow down.
Breathe.
Receive.
Let yourself feel the magic of this season.

From my heart to yours…

💗 Happy Holidays from my Intentional Calm Family to Yours! 💗

Love,
Mary-Anne

Finding Peace in the Pause: Slowing Down Before the Holidays

There’s a moment—usually right about now—when the world feels like it starts spinning just a little too fast.

The lists get longer.
The days get shorter.
The emotions get louder.
And suddenly… you realize you’re holding your breath without even noticing.

If this is you, my friend, you are so not alone.

This week before Christmas carries a beautiful kind of anticipation, but it also carries a weight. The pressure to make everything perfect. The rush to fit everything in. The emotional swirl that holidays can bring—joy, nostalgia, grief, overwhelm, excitement, and sometimes all at once.

So before we step into the heart of the holiday, I want to offer you something simple…
Something gentle…
Something deeply needed:

Permission to pause.

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✨ The Magic Isn’t in the Doing — It’s in the Being

Sometimes slowing down feels wrong, like you’re “behind” or missing something important.

But here’s the truth most of us forget:

The magic of the season isn’t created by the rushing.
It’s created by the presence.

The quiet cup of coffee before the house wakes up.
The conversation that lingers a little longer.
The candle you light while preparing dinner.
The ten slow breaths that bring you back to yourself.

When you pause, you return to the moment you’re actually in — not the next task, not the next errand, not the next expectation.

You return to you.

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🌬️ A Breath for This Moment

If your shoulders are up by your ears, let’s soften them.

Right here with me:

Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose…
Hold it gently…
And exhale out your mouth like you’re releasing a long, tired sigh.

Do that one more time.

Good.

This is how you recalibrate your nervous system.
This is how you shift from “holiday survival mode” to intentional presence.
This is how you honor your energy — with small, nourishing pauses.

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💛 You Don’t Need to Earn Your Rest

One of the great myths of this season is that rest comes after everything is done.

But rest is the thing that allows you to do everything with heart.

So maybe this week…

✨ You leave a few things undone.
✨ You make space for the moments that matter.
✨ You choose connection over perfection.
✨ You give yourself grace — wildly, freely, unapologetically.

Because you deserve to experience this season, not just hustle through it.

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🌟 A Gentle Invitation

As we move into this final stretch before Christmas:

Slow down.
Breathe.
Sit for a moment longer than feels necessary.
Let your heart catch up to your body.
Let your spirit soften into presence.

There is peace available to you — not after the holidays, not when everything is “right,” but right now, in the pause.

Wishing you a week filled with calm breaths, gentle moments, and a soft landing into the heart of the season. 💚💗

With love,
Mary-Anne

When Life Shifts, Part II: Making the Holidays About People, Presence & Giving Back

There’s something about the holiday season that magnifies everything — the joy,
the magic, the nostalgia, and yes… the awareness that not everyone is celebrating from a place of comfort or ease.

After Thanksgiving, many of us carry a renewed sense of gratitude. But gratitude, when it’s truly embodied, naturally wants to overflow. It wants to reach outward. It wants to become something bigger than a feeling — it wants to become an action.

And this is where giving back becomes part of the story.

🎁 The Heart of the Season Isn’t in the Gifts… It’s in the Giving

In a world that moves fast, the greatest gift you can offer someone is your time.
Your presence.
Your listening ear.
Your willingness to show up for someone who maybe hasn’t had many people show up for them.

Giving back doesn’t have to be grand or expensive. Sometimes the most meaningful acts are small, human, and deeply felt.

✨ Checking on an elderly neighbor
✨ Donating to a local pantry
✨ Bringing warm clothes or toiletries to a shelter
✨ Writing a card to someone who’s grieving or alone
✨ Paying for someone’s coffee
✨ Volunteering for an afternoon
✨ Sitting with someone who simply needs company

These are the moments that remind us that the holidays were never meant to be measured in purchases — but in connection.

💛 Because Not Everyone Is Celebrating From a Place of Joy

This time of year can be tender.
For the grieving.
For the lonely.
For families struggling financially.
For those dealing with health challenges, loss, or uncertainty.

When we choose to give back, we’re not just performing an act of kindness — we’re creating a ripple of compassion that might reach someone at exactly the moment they need it most.

You never know whose spirit you’re lifting.
You never know whose hope you’re restoring.
You never know when your small gesture becomes someone else’s turning point.

🌟 Make This Holiday Season About What (and Who) Matters

As life shifts — and as our own perspective deepens with age, wisdom, and experience — we realize something profound:

It was never about the “stuff.”
It’s always been about the people.
The moments.
The memories.
The love we give and the impact we leave.

So this year…
Let’s choose presence over pressure.
Connection over consumption.
Giving over getting.
And humanity over hustle.

Because when we give back, we don’t just brighten someone else’s holiday…
We expand our own hearts in the process.

With love and intention,
Mary-Anne