Bless Your Holiday Stress, Revisited 2022

Here it comes again – the season of giving AND receiving. You know how you’ll be “receiving” some family and friend obligations you never receive except during this season? Once you CHOOSE to receive, you now get to choose your attitude and behavior. I always say, “Bless your stress.” I even wrote a book about it.

I define “bless”: to redirect the force of your energy so that you affirm your existence and embrace the whole of your life. This establishes the foundations of your own happiness. Yeah…but NOW? And with THAT family coming over? Here are three tips to improve your ability to focus on what matters:

1. Check your mental baggage.

We all have memories from past holidays. A lot of us haul around a hefty load of stress connected to the holidays of the past. According to Mental Health America, “memories” account for close to 50% of holiday stress. The problem is we don’t realize it. Remember after that one run-in with your mother-in-law, you vowed never to cook a green bean casserole dish again for the family dinner. Yet here you are on your way to another dinner with another covered dish and a sour mood. Some of our New Year’s Eve memories aren’t as magical and joyous as the ‘40s movies portray.

2. Know what you can and what you can’t control.

While we pride ourselves on being in control, it’s actually a short list of things we can control. It includes what you think, what you say, what you feel and do, the food you put into your mouth, and what you do to your body. That’s where we need to focus our energy. Revise your outlook and revamp your reactions so you can rebound from life’s annoyances. Here are some things we can’t control during the holiday season:

• You can’t invite your uncle without your aunt (if they are still married).
• You can’t invite the sister-in-law without THAT banana pudding.
• The relatives you visit have no guest room, and you have to sleep on the pullout bed with the saggy mattress in the direct path of the only bathroom.
• The ungrateful reactions people have to the gift you oh-so-carefully picked out!

3. Make full use of your “Internal Whistle.”

This means what it means in American football. I even wrote a book about that, too. The whistle blows to stop the action. The whistle blew; the play is over. Have a short memory! Take a deep breath and stop and take stock. Then you won’t let a stress trigger like a whiney nephew make you go nuts and say something you’ll regret.

It comes down to cultivating the rare quality of perspective. Bring a “light take” on stress, so at least the stress doesn’t last long. During the holidays, besides decking the halls, be sure to play the deck you’re dealt. Bless your stress and find your blessing. It may be that you are still alive to celebrate. So have a merry month to get into the New Year’s spirit.

Let’s start the new year right. Please schedule a 30-minute complimentary clarity call to punch up your personal pitch.