How do the holidays really make you feel?

The holiday season is the time of year when we can feel all the human emotions. Joy, love, excitement, anticipation, gratitude, and being blessed can be mixed with sadness, grief, comparison, disappointment, anger, and loneliness; just to name a few. To be honest, I feel them all.

The holidays can be a challenging time, especially if you are feeling any of the more difficult emotions. Those hard emotions can be intensified during this time of year when it seems that everyone else is having a joyful holiday. I have been here and I can tell you it is very isolating.

During this season, I have to catch myself much sooner and faster the moment I feel those troublesome emotions creeping up on me. Let me share some of the things I do to recapture my positive feelings. I hope you will share some of your ideas, too!

• Daily gratitude and affirmations. Thoughts become feelings and I have learned a great deal this year about how simply being aware is the first step to changing what we think and then how we feel.
• Monitor what I am listening to and watching. I minimize time on social media, listen to positive audio books, and have daily conversations with people who lift and inspire me.
• Keep exercising, even when I really don't feel like it, or think I don't have the time. I always feel better even if it’s just a 15 minute walk.
• Make certain I keep busy with the things I really do enjoy doing, and say no to things I really don't want to do. This is the season we tend to over commit and regret saying yes too much.
• Volunteer and give what I can. Serving and ministering to those who need help reminds me to be grateful, even in the midst of my own struggles.
• Changing my environment is crucial to me. If possible, I highly recommend traveling somewhere new. Warmth and sunshine are my favorite mood lifters!

I want you to know that if you are having a rough time this holiday season you are not alone. I hope you will take some time to celebrate “you” for getting through this year and if possible write out some things you envision making happen in 2023!