Swapping Rain for Sunshine: A Mindful Holiday in Cabo

Image found on Unsplash

This year, we are trading the dreary, rainy, cold winter for sunshine and beaches for a mindful holiday.

We wanted to do this last year, but we procrastinated so much that even on the 23rd of December, we were still looking up flights. Side note, you would think that booking a last-minute trip would save you money — at Christmas time… it absolutely does not. Leaving on the 23rd or 24th would make the trip roughly $10k for the two of us for one week at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. That has a pass.

This year, we did not make that mistake. We started looking in September/October.

So, instead of the busy chaos and hustle-and-bustle of the over-crowded malls, long to-do lists, cold weather, etc., we are going to enjoy the calm of the ocean’s waves and sunshine (and not having to cook dinner for a whole week).

This time of year can be so over-busy. Families trying to fit in all of the Christmas activities to make magic, when the magic comes from the intentionality and slowness. 90s kids should remember what Christmas was like growing up. Enjoying quiet mornings in the glow of the tree, playing out in the snow (if you got that) for the entire day because you had a 2-week break from school, sleeping in, festive dinners that weren’t rushed.

The winter season is all about reflection, mindfulness, stillness, rest, and intentional living. Snow acts as a blanket. It gives us a complete reset. So, when the world slows down and starts taking a break, it’s a good time for us to also slow down.

Slowing down and taking a mindful holiday during Christmas can actually enhance your well-being… Trust me on this!

Traditional Christmas Pressures

As we reach the end of the year and dive into the busy Christmas season, we’ve often just barely held on with a mix of stress and burnout. We just keep telling ourselves, “I just have to hold on for a little bit longer.” But then the season doesn’t give us a break, and we start right back in January, still stressed and burnt out.

Christmas brings all kinds of expectations: decorate, cook, host, buy gifts, elf-on-the-shelf, holiday parties, Christmas plays/concerts, end-of-the-year activities for kids, the list goes on and on. If we weren’t burnt out before, we certainly are now, mixed with overspending and lack of presence. At the end of the day, we are just getting through things, and we aren’t taking the time to enjoy the special moments we are working so hard to create (even if it’s just for your dog).

Stepping away from all of that can be the greatest act of self-care. I know I certainly need this.

Why Cabo? The Perfect Setting for a Restorative Holiday

Scott and I have gone to Mexico twice now; once to Puerto Vallarta in 2016, and for our honeymoon to Cancun in 2022 (a year after we got married). We wanted to go somewhere else. We were pretty open to wherever felt like the right place and the right resort. We wanted to find something that wasn’t considered a party resort, right on the ocean, that had a lot of pools so people would be spread out (adult-only resorts ended up being more expensive, so we found one that has an adult-only pool and a waterslide pool, assuming all of the kids would want to stay at that pool).

We found Cabo, and it seemed to check all of our boxes: endless sunshine (duh), ocean views, a peaceful pace, connection to nature (there seems to be a lot of plant-life at this resort), a private jacuzzi on our balcony. It felt very wellness-friendly with morning walks on the beach, ocean air, a spa, and slower living.

The relaxed vibe and warm climate make it ideal for recharging and reconnecting with both ourselves and each other.

The idea is to shift from choosing perfection to presence. We’ll have less distraction and less pressure.

Puerto Vallarta, May 2016

Sun, Sea and Self-Care: What a Mindful Christmas Looks Like

We are here for a week, but for me, that’s the perfect amount of time for a vacation like this. Honestly, I’m not huge on simply lying around and doing nothing for so long (Scott absolutely loves it). But having a relaxing and mindful vacation once in a while really hits the spot.

I’m going to break things up, though. While doing nothing sounds nice for some people, I am going to relax while doing mindfulness activities throughout the day. Right after breakfast, we’ll go and find our poolside or oceanside chairs, then I’m going to go for a walk on the beach while listening to a walking meditation. When I come bac,k I’m going to do a morning journalling session before I settle in for some reading by the pool or ocean.

My skin doesn’t overly agree with the sun, so during the hottest part of the afternoon, I’ll head back to our room (with our nice big balcony) and do a little bit of work. I’m trying not to do a ton of client work. I’m going to mostly be focusing on my own writing projects and learning, along with 2026 preparation. Where do you think I’m writing this blog right now?

We’ll reserve a couple of nights at the restaurants so we can have a more relaxing environment than at the main buffet. If there is evening entertainment, we’ll check that out and spend some time in our jacuzzi tub.

We also always do a spa day (or two!) when we go to Mexico (hello hot stone massages!), which is always a nice way to unwind and take the stress off.

Our resort is also right in town, so we’ll be able to just walk out and check things out, potentially buy a few Christmas presents (we figured it would be fun to get a lot of our gifts from Mexico, so they’re more special). But there will be no rush here.

It’s nice to just wander and let the day take us where it wants to.

We enjoy eating local food as much as possible, and this resort says that they have a lot of great, authentic options. I have also always loved all of the fresh local fruit selection (I could live on fresh mango). It’s nice that we have a variety of options that we have access to for most of the day. As someone with food allergies, it’s nice when there are a lot of different options; generally, I can find something.

And, of course, our favourite part, leisurely reading by the pool or beach. This resort is absolutely beautiful, and the last 2 times we have gone to Mexico, just getting to sit by the pool or on the beach and read was such a dream. I have my Kindle for the first time, so I have options.

I also loaded a new book I’m editing onto it, so I can do a first read-through while I’m here. Seriously, what a dream it is to sit on a beach in Mexico and read a book that someone has sent me to edit. I got to edit my first book on the roof of our cave house while I was in Santorini, Greece, in 2023, in coffee shops in Halifax, in 2024, and now on the beach/poolside in Mexico. I’ve also worked while on a snowy ski holiday in Whistler and while at the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland. I couldn’t think of a better job.

You don’t have to be in Mexico to have a mindful Christmas (but you absolutely can!). You can accomplish this right at home or with a staycation. Honestly, this would be amazing to do in a snowy cabin up the island from where we live. Your intention is what matters here. And yes, you absolutely can do it with kids, and realistically, it’s great for their nervous systems. You can still create those magic moments without the major hustle and bustle. Bring that beautiful ‘90s style Christmas back to your home.

What can you do at your home to have a mindful Christmas, whether you have sun, snow, or even rain (I am thinking of my home and the surrounding areas that are currently flooding with atmospheric rivers)?

What can we learn from slowing down and reflecting with gratitude this season?

I have written many blogs about slow living (mostly on my business blog), and I have to say, it’s a topic I never get tired of talking about. But I think a lot of people don’t understand what that means. We are so programmed to live on ultraspeed that we forget we can make “slow moments” that actually aren’t about necessarily doing your entire day slower.

Even with children, there are a lot of great practices. Children run quickly because they’re conditioned to run quickly, but we can introduce them to slow living concepts, and it can be incredibly beneficial for them. My cousin has her girls lie on her PEMF (on a setting that is appropriate and safe for children), so they can have a little rest on the heat. I have friends who have family movie nights with movies that are slower and kinder to their kids' nervous systems (many shows and movies nowadays are so fast-paced and in your face, it takes a toll on their little nervous systems).

I also know a lot of people who run themselves and their kids ragged during this season, trying to make the season magical, but at the end of the day, their kiddos end up being completely exhausted and grumpy, and they never end up remembering the specialness or the magic because they’re too tired.

Winter is a time that elicits silence, stillness, rest, and a complete reset. Think about nature. Animals hibernate for the winter (literally just sleep the entire season), the trees and plants die so they grow again in the spring, and the ground is covered with a blanket of snow.

It’s a time of reflection, and when we approach it from a place of slowness and gratitude, that’s where the magic of the season comes from. I’m not saying find a way to sleep and do nothing all winter long (wouldn’t that be nice), but focus on rest, recovery, reflection, and gratitude.

With this as your focus, what activities can you do that will still spread the Christmas magic, but also promote these values? How can you lead from a place of slow living?

Sitting down for a hot beverage in the morning (with or without kids) and just soaking in the stillness/silence that comes in the morning, taking a big inhale of your beverage, a small sip where you really taste the liquid and enjoy the feeling of the warmth down your throat. A nature walk in a local park or other area with a lot of natural foliage (and fewer houses), where you really take in your surroundings, touching trees, breathing in the fresh air. Whatever it is, find these gentle, mindful moments and start making them normal.

Travel is also a great reset for your mindset and perspective. I’m enjoying doing this right at the end of the year for a fresh perspective on the new year. I have always said, “You get out of travel what you want to get.” This was really applicable when I was having a hard time years ago, and I went to Scotland. I went knowing I wanted to have a life change out of it. And guess what happened? I felt a great perspective change, and by the end of the year, I had started my own business. There is no better teacher than travel. It’s beautiful, and it can be incredibly mindful and life-changing (‘can’ being the operative word here).

All of this to say, we are incredibly excited to be here in Cabo for our first winter vacation. Life has been tough for a couple of years, and honestly, just goes by way too fast. So, we thought getting to have this incredible downtime and slower pace during the busy Christmas season was exactly what we needed.

I’m here just reflecting on what rest and joy mean to mean and what my relationship with those words is. There is no better time than winter and Christmas to reflect on your relationship with rest, and what you need to do to have the relationship with it that you dream of.

Now is the perfect time to give yourself permission to celebrate differently—more mindfully, even. It’s not too late to change your seasonal pace and create magic in the mindful moments. Slow down and stay present, whether it’s just yourself, you have a spouse or even with children.

Enjoy a restful and beautiful holiday season, whatever you celebrate (or don’t).