It’s time to get serious about the holidays. If you celebrate Christmas and New Years a week after that!
For many of us it is truly a luminous time of year. Whether you are enjoying a well-deserved break or are spending time with loved ones you haven’t seen in the past 12 months there are many things to be grateful for and to celebrate.
That being said, this time of year can come with a whole side of expectations. Expectations we put on ourselves and the expectations we have of others. In my experience when we get ‘barbed’ by expectations it’s a recipe for unmet needs, disappointment and increasing stress levels. And let’s not even mention the ‘trigger points’ that hanging out with our family can bring…
So, I wanted to share with you a few things you can start thinking about now to better cope with stress and enjoy this time more so that you hit the new year refreshed and ready to grow again.
- People Act How We Expect Them To. Whether this is family members or colleagues, people will act how we expect them to. Maybe you’ve heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy before? But if you believe someone will behave or react badly to something, the way you treat them leading up to that moment will actually give them permission to show up that way. So, whether you are worried about a family argument, or late-night phone calls from stressed out skeleton staff, I want you to take a moment to pause and repaint the situation. Ask yourself ‘how would you like this relationship to be? Or how would you like this conversation to go in the perfect world?’ Notice how these simple questions can help shift how you show up and what changes in how others respond to you…
- Complete Things Now. Are there a few stressful projects on your plate that you are secretly hoping you will be able to procrastinate on until after the holidays? As tempting as it can be to wind down into the end of the year, I want to encourage you to give it one final push and get these types of projects off your plate. Why? Because otherwise you will likely continue stressing about them across your time off. It will occupy your thoughts, drain your energy, and it can distract you from what you are experiencing in the moment as you continue to worry about the future. Clear these tasks away now so that you can rest and enjoy your holidays.
- Find Some Quiet Time. It’s okay to take a break. For many of us the first week of a holiday can feel unnerving as we aren’t used to the slow down and being with ourselves (and our thoughts!) But I want to encourage you to plan at least a few days where you have NOTHING to do. No parties or catch-ups or errands to run. Just sweet nothing. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with yourself and let your mind wander to places that give you inspiration, ideas and energy for the new year. This will be me the week in between Christmas and New year as I have my family arriving from the UK on the 1st of Jan!
- Reflect on the year that was. One of the important things to do before you go on holidays is to reflect on the year that was so you can get a sense of everything you have achieved and how far you have come. When we do this, our mind (and nervous system) starts to calm. We get out of the trenches and back up into the big picture of our lives…it starts to create feelings of hope and possibilities for the holidays ahead and the New Year to come. When I run sessions for my team, community and clients around this the worry, rushing and pressure around the end of the year drops and there’s a special positive energy that helps the team focus on finishing strong and feeling confident they can rest knowing that they are prepped to hit the ground running as soon as they are back in the office. Spoiler alert: want a little help with this one? See below to join me…
I hope that some of these tips can help you re-focus your priorities for the next few weeks so that you can really enjoy and sink into the festivities this year rather than worrying about what’s around the corner. If you want to go deeper on this then I have done a MasterClass on it ‘How to finish strong and have a wonderful break’ – take a look .
