Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Controlling Stress, Dream Big - Start Small. No Comments on Have a Happy Holiday Season — 5 Ways to Manage Emotional Land Mines
The year-end months are hectic, but I’m so grateful for a happy holiday season, aren’t you? It’s a time for reconnecting with family and friends. From October onward, I intentionally use my time to relax, reflect and assess how I’ve done over the past year.Then I can make course corrections as needed.
Of course, not everyone feels joy for a variety of reasons. For example, the added pressures from crowded stores, roads and airports can put a damper on anyone’s spirits. Plus there may be many internal pressures — we get caught up in trying to meet expectations of providing the perfect holiday experience by being the perfect daughter, sister, wife, and mother. The house has to be just so. The meals must be absolutely delicious. We may find ourselves pushing to perform on a lot less sleep and a lot more stress. Or this holiday season may be marked by sadness because a loved one is missing or it reminds you of a traumatic event.
It doesn’t have to be like that! Start planning a strategy now that will make you proud of the way you handle yourself at all times. Here are a few self-leadership suggestions that can help.
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There’s something profound about returning to the places and people that shaped us. Recently, I went back to Italy to visit my family, spending time with my mom and my brother—who holds a special place in my heart. Being back in the home I grew up in was a comforting experience, but it also stirred up a mixture of memories, both joyful and challenging. I felt firsthand how deeply the body remembers, holding traces of these formative experiences even when we aren’t consciously aware of them.
