Holiday
Peace and Joy
Your Guide To A Happy Holiday
Carolyn Flynn
Published by Carolyn Flynn at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Carolyn Flynn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, for public or private use -- other than for "fair use" as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission.
All content in this book including the information, exercises, and techniques are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a mental health professional. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any information, suggestions, exercises, or techniques in this book.
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Chapter 1: Holiday Stress Survival Skills
Chapter 3: Holiday On A Budget - What To Do When You Don't Have Money For Gifts Or Activities
Chapter 4: Holiday Food and Weight Management
Chapter 5: Holiday Loneliness and Grief
Chapter 6: Holiday Glam - Beauty Inside and Out
Chapter 7: Balancing Too Many Holiday Activities and Enjoying the Party
Chapter 8: Preventing Holiday Burnout - Personal Self Care
The holidays bring a wondrous assortment of activities, friends, family, food, and fun. The holidays also bring an overwhelming amount of emotional stressors, time demands, financial and social pressures, and a seemingly never-ending balancing act of personal, family, and social obligations and commitments. So how do you turn this holiday season into a peaceful and joyous time of year? Follow Holiday Peace and Joy: Your Guide To A Happy Holiday to make this season your best ever. You will learn essential skills and relaxation techniques to help you through any stressor this holiday season may bring.
Being with family, extended family, in-laws, and the exes during the holidays can get overwhelming and feel emotionally and physically exhausting. Learn how to set boundaries, make compromises, forgive the past, and other helpful tools to manage family stressors and the sharing of the holidays.
Financial stress skyrockets during the holiday season. Demands for gifts, seasonal outfits, parties, and performances can all put a heavy demand on your pocketbook. Discover creative gift giving ideas, how to find your community resources, money management skills, how to have fun on a limited budget, and other tips on keeping the holiday financial stressors at bay.
The holiday season is filled with delicious smells, tastes, and social gatherings where food is in delightful abundance, 'tis the season for holiday food and extra weight gain. Discover creative and healthy ways to enjoy the food and fun, while managing your weight and feeling good about your body and your food choices.
The holidays can be a painfully sad time of year for those who are without family and friends, and those who are grieving the loss or death of a loved one. Those who are single, divorced, and widowed often find the holidays a depressing time of year and a painful reminder of the loved ones they are without. Learn how to release painful emotions, find inner peace, and create personal rituals to make this season a joyous one for you.
The holidays are a fun time to dress up, socialize, and go to parties and special events. Understand how to make this year sparkle even more by feeling good about yourself, dressing for your body type, feeling good about your body image, and increasing your self-confidence. It's your time to shine - on the inside and out.
The holidays are loaded with wonderful activities, performances, parties, and family get-togethers to enjoy. But your schedule can easily get overloaded with too many activities and obligations making you feel frazzled and fried. Learn how to enjoy the holidays and make the most of your scheduling with time management, prioritizing, rejuvenation time, and letting go of perfectionism.
Make the most of your holiday season by preventing holiday burnout. Discover how to add personal self-care, positive self-talk, relaxation tools, and other healthy habits to make this holiday season the most peaceful time of the year.
You deserve to have a happy holiday!
Chapter 1: Holiday Stress Survival Skills
As the holidays begin it's important to have an arsenal of survival skills on hand to help you relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy all that the season has to offer. Take a deep breath to enjoy the holidays. Begin by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Take a deep breath in, hold it, and exhale. Take a deep breath in, hold it, and exhale. This simple breathing exercise will help you to instantly relax. Notice how it clears your mind and your body relaxes. You may even experience a slight tingling sensation. This simple relaxation exercise can be applied at anytime, and anywhere, making it a must have tool for anyone who wishes to survive the holidays. Take some deep breaths while you are getting ready for an event. Take some deep breaths while you are waiting to pick up children from school. Take some deep breaths while driving in holiday traffic. Take some deep breaths while fighting the holiday shopping crowds and listening to your children tell you about all the toys they just have to have. Take some deep breaths while attending family parties, social gatherings, and work holiday parties. Take a deep breath and see yourself relax.
Now think about what you don't want to experience or feel this holiday season. On a piece of paper write down all the things you don't want to feel or experience this holiday. Below are a few examples:
What I Don't Want To Experience Or Feel During The Holidays:
Sad
Family fighting
Money stress
Rushed
Now think about what you do want to experience or feel this holiday season. Write down all the things you would like to experience or feel this holiday. Below are some examples:
What I Want To Experience Or Feel During The Holidays:
Happy
Peaceful
Family getting along
Enough money
Plenty of time to do everything
Relaxed
Notice how you felt when you wrote down the things you want to experience or feel versus your list of things you don't want to experience or feel.
Now combine your two lists and make sure that for everything you don't want to feel or experience you have listed one or more things you would like to feel or experience instead. If you haven't already, create a list of what you don't want next to what you do want.
I Don't Want > I Do Want:
Sad > Happy, Peaceful
Family fighting > Family getting along
Money stress > Enough money
Rushed > Plenty of time to do everything, Relaxed
It's much easier to change or eliminate the things that you don't want to experience or feel if you know what you would like to experience or feel instead.