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Managing Holiday Anxiety: 10 Tips Staying Calm and Enjoying The Season…

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7

The holiday season, often associated with joy and celebration, can also bring about stress and anxiety for many individuals. With the hustle and bustle of shopping, social gatherings, and expectations, it’s common to feel overwhelmed. However, it’s important to take proactive steps to manage and minimize holiday anxiety to ensure a more enjoyable and peaceful season.

  1. Acknowledge Your Feelings:

Acknowledge that it’s okay to feel anxious or stressed during this time. The pressure to create perfect moments or meet unrealistic expectations can add to these feelings. Recognizing and accepting these emotions is the first step in addressing them.

  1. Set Realistic Expectations:

Avoid setting overly high expectations for yourself, others or the holidays. Understand that perfection is unattainable, and it’s okay if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned. Embrace imperfections and focus on the joy of the moment rather than aiming for flawless celebrations.

  1. Plan and Prioritize:

Create a manageable plan for the holiday season. List the tasks that need to be accomplished and prioritize them based on importance. Breaking down tasks into smaller, achievable steps can help prevent feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the season.

  1. Practice Self-Care:

Amidst the chaos, prioritize self-care. Ensure you get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, read spiritual literature and practice relaxation techniques such as prayer, meditation or deep breathing. Taking care of your spiritual, physical and mental well-being can significantly reduce feelings of anxiety.

  1. Set Boundaries:

Learn to say ‘no’ when necessary. It’s okay to decline invitations or requests that may add unnecessary stress to your life. Setting boundaries protects your mental and emotional health, allowing you to enjoy the holidays more fully.

  1. Focus on Meaningful Moments:

Redirect your focus from material aspects to meaningful experiences. Spend quality time with loved ones, engage in activities that bring joy, and participate in volunteering or acts of kindness. Connecting with others and giving back can add a deeper sense of fulfillment during the holidays.

  1. Budget Wisely:

Financial stress is a common trigger during the holidays. Set a realistic budget and stick to it. Consider alternatives to expensive gifts, such as homemade presents or organizing gift exchanges to reduce financial strain. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

  1. Seek Support:

Don’t hesitate to seek support from friends, family, or a professional if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes sharing your feelings or seeking guidance can provide valuable perspective and alleviate anxiety. Every now and then, everyone needs to unload their truck!

  1. Reflect and Appreciate:

Take time to reflect on the positives of the holiday season. Practice gratitude for the moments, experiences, and people in your life. Gratitude can shift your focus from stressors to appreciation, fostering a more positive mindset.

  1. Enjoy Yourself!

In conclusion, while holiday anxiety is common, it’s possible to manage it effectively by setting realistic expectations, prioritizing self-care, focusing on meaningful moments, and seeking support when needed. By incorporating these strategies, you can navigate the holiday season with greater calmness, allowing yourself to truly enjoy the festive spirit and the real reason for the season.

Blogroll, Friendship, Growing, love, mindfulness, Personal, Uncategorized

If You’re Happy And You Know It!

When I was a little boy, we used to sing an activity song called: “If You’re Happy And You Know It…” We would sing the lyrics and follow them up with the action of clapping our hands, stomping our feet and shouting hop-ray… Here are the lyrics:

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp stomp)

If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)

If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three. (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)

When we are little kids, happiness seems so much easier. Happiness is easy, we just have to make up our mind to choose happiness over everything else. Emotions are up and then there down, much like a roller coaster. Circumstances change from good to bad and then back again. We experience it all, but always with the ability to choose our response.

What really matters is the eternal spiritual reality of love. It is unchanging and offers a solid foundation for building a life that matters, a life that can withstand whatever the world chooses to throw its way.

You have the power! Use it to choose eternal, spiritual thoughts of love. Move beyond what your physical senses are telling you and listen to the message found in between the beats of your heart. Accept life as it is and live in the security that everything has a purpose. Remember that love overcomes fear and light chases away darkness, this is your super power.

You have a choice – choose happiness by surrendering to Spirit and overcome the emotions that attempt to ensnare you and keep you from your created purpose. If your happy and you know it, clap your hands, stomp you feet and shout hoo-ray…

Uncategorized

What’s Better Than Happiness?

Remember the television show Hee Haw with Buck Owens and Roy Clark? They used to have a bit on the show where four miserable looking fellows would sing a song called “Gloom, Despair And Agony On Me!” The first line went something like this:

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me”

This is the world we live in for a lot of people today. Our lives have become filled with stress, anxiety and over thinking. We often find ourselves caught up in the overwhelming feelings of frustration, depression and discontentment. This mental fatigue leads to all sorts of physical problems such as stomach problems, high blood pressure, headaches and muscle problems. This is not the life we were created for. I promise you – you were created for so much more!

While there is not an easy fix and no cure all potion, there are things we can do to help facilitate peace in our lives, which contributes to the harmony that brings balance and allows us to live with intention, rather than by happen stance.

I hear people say all the time: “I just want to be happy!” Did you know there is something better than happiness and it’s what you were created for? You may not always be happy, because some things go your way and some things don’t. Life does not always flow in the direction you choose, and this has a tendency to impact if we are happy or not. And while you can’t always be happy, you can always have joy. Joy is what you were created for, it is your human experience birthrite. You were created in joy and for joy. When you realize this and believe this, it helps you to stay in step with your created purpose and automatically helps you to be in a better place to fulfill your dreams and experience your desires.

Joy tells me that even when things are not going the way I want them to, that there is still a purpose and if I will trust in that purpose and keep a right attitude, life will adjust and come around to where it needs to be. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs 17:22 says: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Joy says: “I am just happy to be alive with another day of opportunity to experience blessings.” Joy helps you to focus on what you do have, rather than what you don’t have. Joy helps you to understand that feelings are just that – feelings and you ultimately have the power to choose how you are going to feel.

Whenever you find yourself getting out of alignment, take a moment to step outside all of it and remind yourself: I am joy, I was created in joy and for joy. Joy is what I was born for, it belongs to me and I belong to it. Joy helps me see things more clearly, experience things more honestly and grow through things that would normally try to take me out.