It is supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year” and “the happiest season of all” according to a popular Christmas song. Regardless of the holiday you celebrate, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, not everyone enjoys the lights, family gatherings, and traditions that come with them. And even though I love decorating the tree, watching holiday movies, and the spiritual meaning of Christmas, I recently experienced deep sadness and sorrow. 

Many people get overwhelmed during the holiday season. They stress out about all the preparations for the perfect family get-together. They hurry to get gifts for loved ones and to deck the halls. They think about the people in their lives and the ones they lost on the way. All these thoughts are draining us of energy and before we know it, we are in survival mode. Instead of enjoying all the holidays have to offer, we just want to get to the other end and come January resume our “normal lives”.

If you are currently in survival mode let me share a few tips with you to make it through the Holiday season intact so that you don’t crash and burn. 

The first step is to identify what exactly is causing you stress. There are six major categories of stressors that can drain you of energy:

1. 1. Spiritual
   2. Mental
   3. Emotional
   4. Physical
   5. Social
   6. Environmental

You may be impacted by more than one of these factors. The more you are experiencing the higher your risk of burnout. 

The second step I recommend is to optimize these factors. I previously published a series called “Reduce your stressors and achieve peak performance”, where I detailed what to do to improve each of them. You can find them archived on my blog https://belladonnacareercoach.com/blog/. 

The third step I recommend is to refill your proverbial cup with lots of positive energy. The iPEC coaching program identifies and recommends ten practices to increase your level of energy. I would call this an advanced version of “your holiday survival guide”. If you are interested in learning more about all ten steps, you can find them in detail on my blog as well. To survive the holiday season, I suggest focusing on the first three practices:

1. Bring awareness to the situation
2. Accept the situation
3. Choose your response consciously

In other words, it is ok to feel whatever you are feeling right now. Become fully aware of it, even if it doesn’t feel great because it is fleeting and will pass. Accept it for what it is without judgment and then consciously choose to respond in a way that serves you.

Carve out some time for yourself and practice self-care during this holiday season. Let go of perfectionism and give yourself grace. This is what I intend to do the next time I am overwhelmed with sadness. Oh yeah, I forgot my final piece of advice – you are never alone. You are surrounded by people who support you and catch you when you fall. If you don’t know where to turn, reach out to me at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com. Happy Holidays!