Manage Holiday Stress With More Ease

The end-of-year pace is picking up for most of us now.

With the holidays coming, most people are selecting gifts.

You may be planning for gatherings you’ve been invited to (anything from what you will wear, to who can look after children, to considering how the dynamics of specific conversations will play out), or you you may be hosting a gathering or two.

Maybe you are figuring out activities to put on the calendar, whether you are seeing friends, family, or are far away from people who are special in your life. 

And you may be thinking about the start of a whole new year — with excitement or trepidation.

How are you feeling about the coming weeks?

Are you excited and eager?

Are you feeling frazzled, tired, stressed?

Maybe some worry is showing up.

Take a moment to close your eyes to ask the question. See what shows up in both your mind and your body.

Many of us believe that our thoughts give us all the information we need, and fail to pay attention to our somatic sensations.

What we physically feel can be remarkably revealing.

For example, if you sense a tightness in your belly when you check in with yourself, or if your neck and shoulders feel soft and relaxed, you can connect the physical signals to the thoughts you observed and gain clarity.

There may be a correlation between thoughts and what you feel, or you may find that the sensations in your body provide a clue to something other than what you were thinking, or prompt you to explore deeper awareness than you had initially considered.

When you gain clear awareness, you can move ahead and make the most of the weeks ahead.

How to leverage your emotional awareness 

Most women find a mix of emotions show up when they check in with themselves, and at this time of year that is especially likely to happen.

And having that insight can help you to move through this busy time with as much ease and grace as possible.

These steps can make a world of difference any time you have identified a challenging emotion such as tension, concern, or feeling overwhelmed.

1. Clearly name the emotion

By naming a challenging emotion, you can often remove some of the intensity you feel, which in turn will make it be easier to find a thoughtful, creative path forward.

2. Pause, rather than pushing ahead

It may feel natural to plow ahead and aim to get productive. Or you may be inclined to minimize the power of the emotion and try and push it aside. Instead, honor yourself and take a short pause.

3. Take 3 slow deep breaths

When you choose to briefly sit with the emotion and take a few intentional deep breaths, you increase oxygen flow. That activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which, among other things, relaxes you and gives your body the signal that you are safe.

4. Talk with a trusted person or jot in a journal

This step supports you by helping you reflect specifically on the current situation. Speaking or writing brings clarity, as you find the words to express what you feel and what brought on the feeling, as well as how you are considering ways to move forward.

5. From a calm, clear place you can move ahead with more grace

After you have quieted your system and expressed your thoughts, you can look at the situation with more perspective. You will be less reactive. And you are likely to be able to reframe the situation, and see your opportunities to move ahead in new ways.

Create peace and there will be more space for joy

By taking a few quiet minutes to assess and move through emotions that get in your way (like tension, struggle, annoyance or stress) with intention, you are able to access more creative thinking.

That thinking will help you see things with perspective, and chart new ways forward that would otherwise probably not have occurred to you.

And once you are feeling clearer and steadier, you will feel different — lighter, better, able to see new possible paths and outcomes.

And whatever way you find to move ahead, there will be space for joy — or space for more joy — that when you started.

Here’s to a holiday season filled with peace, joy and love!