Although this is a beautiful time of year, for many of us, the holiday season can also bring up challenging issues.

Having awareness of the holiday stressors and how they impact you- like family, finances, obligation, expectation, perfectionism, health, parties, the dessert, not to mention the deeper seated mental-emotional issues such as loneliness, isolation, loss of a loved one, certain memories, scarcity, etc- is the first step towards resolution.

5 Way to Move Through Holiday Stress

  1. Take a step back to connect with your heart, return to the present moment, and own your power of choice. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, so taking just a moment to realign in this way will not only keep you centered, it will actually shift your system from a sympathetic, fight-flight-freeze, state to a calm, healing parasympathetic state. Here, you can become more aware of the stressors and how you can intentionally move through them with more grace and ease. You can even make more tangible statements to become more connected and present by making more eye contact, turning the notifications off on your phone, etc.
  2. Embody the holiday spirit. Here, you can focus on the true spirit of the holidays. Think celebration, community, light, joy and closing up your year with strength. This can tangibly look like hot chocolate, mistletoe, a beautiful fire, church, time to reflect, wreaths, deep conversations, light hearted laughter, you name it.
  3. Many times the most stressful life experiences, found often within the holidays, are synonymous with the most meaningful, and acknowledging this truth and intentionally shifting the way we view these stressful experiences can actually change the way we work with them and how they, in turn, effect our whole system, mind and body. By seeing stress differently, we no longer need to avoid it, we can connect with it and allow it to work for rather than against us. For more on this, check here.
  4. If you are to truly enjoy the holidays, it is so important to drop the comparison and the pressure, check in with yourself, allow yourself to have fun, exercise your creativity, lighten up and remember that it’s all about the intention, thought and energy behind what you are up to. By focusing on what you have, your desires, circumstances, etc., you will not only experience more peace, you will also receive even more inner guidance and direction.
  5. Finally, don’t forget yourself, focus on your fundamentals (healthy eating, exercise, sleep, relaxation) because without you, the experiences you are engaging in would be highly irrelevant- so remembering that you are important and more than capable of choosing how you perceive, interact with and interpret your experiences is key.

For more holistic information, community support and a tried and true springboard that can help you address the fundamentals and unlock your power to heal, feel free to check out the Let Go & Grow program. We would love to have you in there! This is the exact process I teach my patients and apply in my own life, and have seen time and time again become a catalyst for radiant health, freedom and a life lived true to you.