FAB BLOG POST
7 Tips to Fuel Your Healing Journey During The Holiday Season
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Do you know the feeling of wanting to keep things bright and cheery during the holiday season, while also juggling feelings of anxiety, stress and even depression or jealousy?
A few days ago I had lunch with a good friend of mine. We shared a Cobb Salad and she shared some of her deepest thoughts.
She vulnerably shared, “Sometimes I think I’m jealous of certain family and friends’ relationships and experiences.”
I reassured her that it’s absolutely normal to feel this way (especially during the holidays).
As I dug a bit deeper and asked her a few questions, we were able to unpack what was under the holi-daze for her.
It can be summed up as unspoken emotions, feelings and unmet needs.
With all the holiday glitz and expectations, feelings of guilt, anxiety and jealousy may be brewing just below the surface. Trying to keep up the façade of creating the perfect holiday can make you crumble just like stale Christmas cookies.
Instead of keeping your thoughts, feelings and unmet needs hidden, it’s time to shine some light on them and use them to fuel your own healing journey.
Follow these 7 steps the next time you find those unwanted thoughts creeping in…
1. Bring awareness to your thoughts and feelings.
2. Identify as close as possible the feelings you’re experiencing. Is it fear, anger, jealousy, hurt…? If you need to look up your feelings, use Google to help you out.
3. Where are you experiencing those feelings? Is it in your chest? Heart? Stomach? Throat?
4. Ask yourself what you need. Hint → this is your unmet need. Great work! You just identified what you need at that moment. Keep moving forward.
5. Ask yourself if you can give yourself what you need. Do you need to talk things out with a friend? Do you need to vent? Do you need to come up with a solution? Do you need some alone time or to set boundaries?
6. Once you’ve identified what you need, take the smallest and easiest action step forward. What does that look like for you?
7. Celebrate or congratulate yourself on taking care of yourself and fulfilling your needs.
Remember, your needs are your needs and meeting your needs are non-negotiable.
The holidays (although filled with glitz, expectations and jolly faces, etc…) can also be a sore spot for many and bring up old wounds.
Be kind to yourself and others and know that every single person is struggling in their own way.
Cheers to self-care this holiday season,
