How to Stay Sane During the Holidays
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We all know that it can be hard to stay sane during the the holidays! They can be quite stressful.
There’s money anxiety: “How am I going to be able to afford buying gifts?
There’s family: “I just hope we don’t get into a big argument!”
There’s travelling: “Flying isn’t so much fun anymore.”
There’s food: “I hope I don’t gain a ton of weight!”
And of course, there’s parties: “He go SO drunk last year!!”
Anyone of these by themselves or in any combination can make us crazy. So how do we stay sane during the holidays?
The key to remaining sane during the holidays.
Stay awake! That’s the key. By that, I mean stay conscious and aware of what’s going on within you and without you. Understand that in your journey through the holiday season there will be situations that trigger emotions, reactions and responses. Stay connected to how you are feeling, observe the story you are telling, and be aware of what you are thinking. With this kind of awareness, you can make powerful choices that serve you and help you stay sane during the holiday season.
For example, say you feel sad during the holidays. That’s a good thing to be aware of: “I have a tendency to feel sad during the holidays.” Accept that about you, but don’t make it mean anything other than you’re a human with emotions. Making up a story about it would be ” I’m such a terrible person for feeling sad during the holidays.” Don’t do that!
Perhaps you can take some quiet time to explore these feelings and bring awareness to them, maybe by journaling or sharing your feelings with someone you trust. Why do you feel sad? Perhaps you lost someone at the holidays. Maybe you feel lonely at the holidays. Allow yourself to feel and give yourself permission to express those feelings. Stay present and understand that it’s ok to feel sad.Then make a conscious choice. You may choose to have a good cry. Or, you may decide that you are going to spend as much time as you can with people you like and love.
Insanity during the holidays comes from not wanting to deal with what is. Remaining sane during the holidays means looking at what is squarely in the eye and making a choice as to how to deal with it. For example: “I hate that the holidays are so commercialized!” But the fact is that they are commercialized and that you are the hater! Choose to do your holidays in a way that is meaningful and significant for you.
Another example is insane stress during the holidays. You must first have an awareness that this isn’t working for you anymore. Then acknowledge your ability to choose your holiday experience. It could be as simple as getting more sleep, taking supplements or not letting your exercise program fall by the way side. It could be a choice not to over commit your time or energy. Or it could be the decision to do all your shopping online or not shop at all.
Take some time now to be aware of:
- What staying sane during the holidays would look like for you
- Who you really want to be with during the holidays
- What you really want to do during the holidays
In addition, get clear about:
- Where you are not sane during the holidays every year
- Expectations that are thwarted every year
- People that are not healthy for you to be around during the holidays
Then decide what you’re going to do to have the holiday experience you want and DO IT.
To stay sane during the holidays always remember that it’s YOUR holiday movie. You get to direct it and say who’s in it and how the story goes or not even make a holiday movie. It’s up to you to make it something you enjoy sitting through.
Ted
p.s. Need some help staying sane during the holidays? Click here to contact me for a free phone consultation.
