As the busiest few weeks of the holiday season begin, here are a few tips to keep in mind for a peaceful holiday season.
Spot the triggers. Triggers are the things that can impact thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is extremely helpful to understand triggers so that there is an understanding of the reason behind particular thoughts and feelings. Triggers may be a particular family member where there is constant comparison, crowded rooms, or spaces where loved ones used to be.
Cope ahead. Expect the unexpected (burnt cookies, unplanned guests, forgotten gifts). Prepare to cope with positive affirmations. Have a few of these affirmations printed and ready to help cope with unexpected interruptions. Also, expect to encounter triggers. Make plans to use coping skills to alleviate the stress of these triggers. Here is a reminder of various coping skills available.
Practice gratitude. Amongst the busyness, the stressors, the triggers - work diligently and intentionally to focus on the positive things. Before going to bed each night, record five things that inspired gratitude that day.
Practice self-compassion. Be sure to take a step back and reflect on kindness towards self. This is a difficult task but implementing small acts of self-compassion can ensure stability in wellness. Self-compassion may lead to intentional prioritizing, keeping things simple, limiting expectations, saying no, and protecting self-care. Check this link for other ways to implement self-compassion a daily basis.
For more information about self-compassion and the holidays be sure to check out the links to earlier blog posts in this series.
From KS Services, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases. In a year like no other, remember that “the weary world rejoices.”
Laura Waller, MS
Licensed Resident in Counseling
Laura would like to thank Lauran Thomas, Director and Clinical Supervisor of KS Services, for providing inspiration for this blog post.
As we continue to move through the holidays, it can be helpful to have a toolbox of affirmations to use when an increase in presenting symptoms is noticed such as nervousness, increased heart rate, or low energy and mood. Positive affirmations are short, powerful statements that can be repeated when maladaptive thoughts are beginning to impact mood. These maladaptive thoughts (often referred to as automatic negative thoughts) not only impact the way we feel but also the way we behave. By challenging these unhelpful thoughts with a positive affirmation, we begin to break the automaticity of the thought pattern and therefore begin to notice a change in the way we feel and act.
Repeating positive affirmations may feel uncomfortable or awkward at first, and that is normal. With practice, repeating positive affirmations becomes a more natural part of your internal dialogue. Here are a few holiday-themed affirmations that you can use as a starting point this season. Pick one that resonates with you, write it down, and place it in a prominent place in your home. Use this affirmation to anchor you to the present as you move through the holiday season.
Covid cannot force me to distance my heart from my family.
Delays are opportunities to reflect, give thanks, and creative positivity.
I remember I have a choice in what I plan for the holidays.
I love myself enough to set boundaries. My time and my energy are precious resources. I get to choose how I spend them.
I am free to follow love.
Kindness is like snow. It never fails to add beauty to what it covers.
This is only temporary.
My daily practice is my strongest practice.
Stay here, now.
If you want to talk to someone about what it looks like to use these affirmations on a consistent basis this holiday season, please contact KS Services via email for a free 15-minute consultation.
Laura Waller, MS
Resident in Counseling
https://www.keystoneservices.biz/laura-waller-ms