How to Ease Holiday Stress With Self-compassion

As the holidays are quickly approaching, it’s important to recognize that holiday stress can trigger negative thinking that builds on itself. To avoid this cycle, we can take this opportunity to find new comforts and enjoy the holidays differently. We can take simple, meaningful steps for healthy self-care, and put some fun back into our celebrations.

No matter how cheerful people appear, the holidays are stressful for almost everyone. It’s chaotic for most people. There are more cars on the road, more people in the stores, and more events on the schedule. All these pressures mean people are more quickly flustered or annoyed.

At the same time, we are swamped with ideal images of laughing friends, joyful children, loving couples and dazzling dinner tables. Most people look around and feel the grass is greener for everyone else, while for them, important parts of life are missing or inadequate.

Actively planning something fun for yourself is important. This helps focus attention away from negative thoughts, which can run away with our thinking without good self-care.

How do you gently own and process your loneliness or stress to give it compassion, rather than get stuck in it?

·      Spend time thinking through your feelings. Talk yourself through what has happened and why you might reasonably feel the way you do: “This has been a rough year. I can understand where this feeling comes from. I am going through a really hard time.”

·      Give yourself the same compassion you would offer a friend. You might say to yourself, for example: “If I don’t want to go to all of these activities that’s okay. I’ll just choose one.” For a relationship that isn’t as good as you want it to be, you can have a truce. “If things aren’t perfect between us today, it’s all right for now; I accept us the way we are.” (Your personal safety always comes first. You need no one’s permission to opt out of plans where you do not feel physically or emotionally safe.)

·      Allow sad feelings and allow yourself some fun too. There is nothing wrong with feeling what we feel and participating in the season’s events anyway. Sadness is an important part of dealing with loss or disappointment and prompting positive change. Sadness does not wipe out the chance to have fun – in fact you can still be sad about one thing, and have fun doing something else without letting sadness stop you.

There is no perfect family or perfect holiday gathering – and they don’t need to be perfect for you to enjoy yourself. By actively choosing something fun for yourself, you can create your own rituals or habits to look forward to year after year. Learn more by visiting https://brickelandassociates.com/managing-holiday-loneliness-with-self-compassion/