While there are those folks who blissfully embrace the holidays and all the festivities, traditions, and aggravations, there are others who struggle with feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, shame and sadness. These negative emotions can worsen during the holiday, much as others seem to embrace the celebrations of the season. It might be that the abundance of joy seems to make some people feel worse! If this happens, here are some suggestions for making the holidays less stressful and more pleasant.
Make a donation of your time, money, or old belongings.
Prioritize your time to include personal time for yourself, exercise, and quiet time to balance the obligations and events.
Set a budget and stick to it.
Send donations in lieu of gifts or holiday cards. It will be much more rewarding for everyone.
Too many invites? It’s ok to decline some invites as long as you maintain healthy connections and leave the hibernating for the bears.
Easy on the egg nog.
Get back to the meaning of it all.
Pet your dog, or visit a shelter and walk a dog.
Take a time out to relax in the middle of the holiday hustle.
Pick up the phone.
Mend some fences.
Do something special just for you.
When you take charge of your emotions, you can make plans that suit your personal needs and give yourself the space that you need. You can navigate more successfully between the holiday parties, shopping, and other social obligations that might become unnecessarily stressful. From now on, the holidays can bring a special meaning that is unique to you, and you can feel ok living life the way you want to live it.
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