Some of our most favorite holiday traditions include family, friend, community, and corporate gatherings and parties.
Many of us derive great pleasure from holiday activities, but they do place additional demands on our time and energy. If you are dealing with conflict or grief following a life loss event, the additional holiday stress can make you feel downright overwhelmed and exhausted.
In the face of conflict and grief, here are a few simple strategies to help you navigate the holiday season with a little more confidence, grace, and ease.
Loss and grief can be un-empowering as we don’t have a say in how those things are going to play out, but healing is a choice. When it comes to those holiday parties and events, choose the ones that are most important to you and trim the rest.
If you have young children and you’ve always been the homeroom mom who joyously orchestrates the holiday parties, those events may rise to the top of your list. If your best friend or support person is a colleague, the annual office party might be an event you choose. Maybe a girls’ luncheon at your house to watch the latest Hallmark Holiday Movie is what you need to relax and forget your stress for a few hours.
Politely decline other event invitations, letting the hosts know you’re grateful to be a part of the guest list and how much you look forward to getting together in the future.
Examining your options and making choices that work for you will bring peace, calm and healing to all of your five facets, Journeyer.
Your social facet will be tended because you are connecting and communicating in a genuine manner with the people in your life.
Your academic facet will be tended because you can let go of the mental worry of how you’re going to accomplish everything you want to do for the holiday season.
Your emotional facet will be tended because making a decision that feels right to you will allow you to let go of some conflict and stress.
Bringing peace and calm to your academic facets will reduce the stress and tension in your physical body.
And your spiritual facet will know peace because you have connected with your wants and needs and made them happen.
Letting go is not only a sign of your strength and courage, Journeyer, it reflects a creative and forward thinking approach, one that empowers you.
As always, if you have questions or tips and strategies that have worked for you, please share them because, as I like to say, “Together we are healing worlds of hurt.”