🎁 Meet StrongWithDana's Holiday Survival Guide
🔔 Happy "Holidays Approaching," Friends!
Most days:
☕ You feel relatively sane
🌟 You make choices that align with your values
🕯️ You spend time with friends
⛄ You enjoy life
Holidays (holidaze?):
🥀 Insecurities everywhere. Like gophers
🫥 Negative self talk, sometimes on a loop
🌧️ Judging yourself for the way you do or don't want to celebrate
💔 Going through behavioral patterns you haven't considered since the last time you lived in your old house
It can be pretty hard. Maybe you’ve seen the seven fishes episode of the Bear? The holidays can be joyous and memorable... and bittersweet, stressful, and exhausting. Understandably, in some instances, you’re just looking to survive.
That's why I've decided to spend this holiday season sharing weekly guidance about how to reduce stress and, instead, enjoy your break during the most complicated time of the year.
🌟 You might be wondering, "StrongWithDana, isn't this a little off-topic for your newsletter?" This is a health and wellness newsletter, and nothing says "wellness" like protecting your peace during the most complicated time of the year.
This week, let's talk about...
Sneaky Ways to Get "Me" Time During the Holidays
- ❄️ Know your social battery. Understanding when you need to set limits for social engagements and when you might enjoy spending some extra time with folx is important for life and not getting fired at the office holiday event. Spend some time asking yourself how your body shows you when you want more or less social contact.
- ❄️ Make plans that feel like the right length of time. If possible, make plans with friends and family in ways that honor your battery. If a group you're not sure about wants to get together, suggest a chill happy hour instead of a long sit-down dinner. When you make plans with someone who would fill your cup, suggest a shopping trip with lunch and a walk, too!
- ❄️ Manage tough family time by contributing what you want. If you'll be exposed to certain people anyway, suggest an activity or make a recipe that you'd enjoy on your own time, too. Even if everything else brings up difficult memories or emotions, you'll have something forward to.
- ❄️ Schedule “you” time. Set aside time to do things by yourself, where the only goal is to have a nice time. See a movie, take a yoga class (have you met my friend Naomi?), get coffee, or just take a nap with a heating pad. Bonus tip: if there isn't much free time available, errands are a great excuse for getting out on your own, since people probably won’t want to invite themselves along.
Next week, more holiday stress relief directly in your inbox!
If you know someone about to have a tough holiday season, forward them this newsletter. And if you have your own way of dealing with the roller coaster of gathering and celebrating, share it in the comments.
Til next time,
Dana