TRANSCRIPT
Good Day,
I am Marcyline Bailey of Real Social Workers Online Magazine and you are inside the Get Through the Holidays Without Losing it Challenge for hardworking professionals who want to be happy.
So, we know you are getting ready to spend some time with mama ‘nem this week. For some of you, this will be a fab time of horseplay, jokes and lots of love. For others, well, it will feel like getting your wisdom teeth pulled without the benefit of anesthesia.
You know that you will have to deal with Uncle Grandpa who has breath that smells like hot vinegar getting in your face talking and spitting. While he is harmless and lovable, his wife is another story. She is always critiquing, complaining about, and comparing family members. She talk whispers behind everybody’s back although you all hear her. A couple of years ago your mom told her off and told her to leave the house.
Auntie Grandma started crying and acting like a victim and that set Uncle Grandpa off. He got so angry and blamed your mom for his wife’s behavior. She can be so aggravating. No one likes her and nobody can figure out what Uncle Grandpa has seen in her for the past 40 years.
So, when she comes, everyone is on edge and tense.
Then there is your brother, who has the perfect life as evidenced by his perfect wife, perfect children, perfect job and perfect jet black Armada they arrived in. Only you know that your brother calls you every week asking to borrow $20 dollars until pay day.
Your cousin Shanna brings her three Bad “A” children. Those “bebe” kids right there make you want to lose your religion when you deal with them. But you won’t have to worry about that because your cousin will preach the entire time about how “good God is” and how you are all “sinners saved by grace.” Last year she tried to have Bible study while her oldest went through your purse and took your money.
Then there is you. You are single, working hard, but your family only sees what you don’t have and maybe what you don’t want in your life right now.
These are some of the scenarios that may play out at your family dinner. Ideally family time is enjoyable. It should make you feel recharged after. The reality for most is that spending time with your family or specific family members may leave you
Drained instead of energized
Sad instead of joyous
Angry instead of hopeful
This week during the Get Through the Holidays Without Losing It, we are going to talk about preparation, consistency and follow through.
The book Yoga Therapy for Stress & Anxiety: Create a Personalized Holistic Plan to Balance Your Life defines stress as a “lack of trust, faith, confidence, ease and peace of mind.”
We will remind you of this definition throughout the challenge.
Preparing for the holidays includes activities that allow you to become aware of your thoughts and feelings so that you can calm your emotions. Emotions initiate the stress response and drive out stress levels.
We do not promote ignoring your emotions!
We encourage you to recognize and acknowledge them as you take healthy steps to deal with them.
We will encourage you to be consistent and to follow through with the actions we suggest.
The first step for this week:
Make sure you have an awareness of what you desire to feel and experience during the holiday season. Yogis call this “Setting an Intention.”
To do this, you will need space and me time to dive deep.
We have already given you a few suggestions.
Trust, Faith, Confidence, Ease and Peace of Mind
Choose one as your focus or come up with one of your own.
The second step in developing your intention Is to clarify and state:
What causes you to want peace of mind?
How will your life and holidays be different when you experience peace of mind?
The third step is to state your intention in one statement or sentence:
I desire to experience peace of mind during this holiday season.
This will be your primary affirmation for the entire challenge.
All decisions, actions and thoughts will be filtered through this affirmation. We will discuss this later.
For now, you have your assignment. Expect additional posts to help you Get Through the Holidays Without Losing It.
You will also find additional holiday resources at REAL Social Workers Online Magazine Gift Page
“I work with social workers and hard working professionals who want to be happy. I would love to hear from you.” You may join the conversation by commenting on this post or on our Facebook fan page REAL Social Workers Online Magazine or connecting with me on LinkedIn.