3 Slightly Unconventional Tips For Navigating the Holiday Season
It’s that time again. It’s the holiday season and for many this is a beautiful time of togetherness and love. However, for many others this time of the year brings along with it, unrealistic expectations, exposure to dysfunctional relationship dynamics, and even grief. This blog post is for the latter group of people and also those who experience a little bit of both while navigating the holidays. This is especially written for those people who do not have full control of how they spend the holidays or what boundaries and safety measures they can have in place for themselves.
Telling people in these situations “just don’t go to that gathering” or “be yourself not matter what they say or do!” can be very invalidating and a complete disregard of their physical and emotional safety. Instead, I recommend offering unconditional support, a listening ear, and human connection through open and empathetic language. For those who lack a sense of safety and control during the holidays, here are
Three Slightly Unconventional Tips for Navigating the Holidays:
Develop a self-care plan for before, during, and after the overwhelming holiday events. Only include people, places, things, activities, etc. in that plan that resonate for you and you have direct control and access to.
If you have a safe support network or person, provide them with the details of your plans and fears so you don’t feel completely alone. Ask them to go with you if possible. Drive separate from other household and family members. Even come up with a code word or statement you can use with your safe support people/person that signals them that you are overwhelmed and they can inconspicuously intervene.
Going into the holiday season, challenge yourself to be mindfully observational. Being mindfully observational simply means being in the present moment, on purpose, noticing your surroundings and body responses without judgement. When we stop attaching personal or emotional value to what you are observing, you can start to take your power and control back from those dysfunctional people and spaces. By practicing this (you can even make it a fun internal game with yourself) you can begin to separate the hurtful words or behaviors of family members from yourself and your worth. This exercise also helps you to begin noticing physical and emotional dysregulation at the early warning sign stages to prevent complete nervous system overwhelm.
If the holiday season is uncomfortable, unsafe, dysfunctional, or out of your control, please try these three tips. I hope they are helpful even in the slightest. You are worthy of so much more every day of the year and I send you all of the peaceful energy during this specific part of the year.
“Mindfulness clears the windshield of the mind so that we can see things as they really are.”
DISCLAIMER: All views and information on this site/post are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. The information on this site/post are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental illnesses. I, the author, do not in any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. Always consult your personal physician(s) for specific medical and/or mental health advice and/or treatment.
