Stress & Thanksgiving: 4 Ways to Combat Misgivings

It’s Monday and Thanksgiving is Thursday! If you are cooking, eating or in some fashion participating in the festivities with others on Thanksgiving you may have some anticipated misgivings. From family coming over, cooking for the first time, or working on this holiday, it can be a high stress day.

Or it can be smooth sailing.

It all depends on you and what you are willing to do about it.




#1) Pause & Respond versus Reactive Responses

Taking a moment to pause prior to responding can give you and the recipient the gift of clarity, respect and empowerment. The unconscious mind is running the show when we react in the heat of the moment. It could be said that the negative ego creeps up when we are not present with the pause on how to respond. If we let that ego emerge we may say something we regret later.

Responses comes with contemplation and self-reflection. They can come from both the unconscious mind and the conscious mind. Responses are present and take into consideration who the audience is.

“When I look back on my knee-jerk reactions now, I realize I should have just taken a breath.”— Fred Durst

A reaction and a response may look the same however the intent is drastically different. It is about telling yourself the truth about the situation. 

Example: You are asked the question, “How is work?” at the dinner table. 

Knowing yourself: you know this question triggers you. You could react as you usually do, OR you could self reflect prior and see why this question bothers you so. Tell yourself the truth and stop repeating the same pattern of reactivity.

Then when the question comes us you can share what you would like. The key is you paused, reflected and then responded.



#2) Breath

Breathing has been shown to reduce stress. It sounds simple and it is. When you feel the triggers of others getting to you. Breath. Take a moment and inhale count to four and exhale.

You are at the dinner table and the question of kids comes up. Knowing yourself and how you have explained why you don’t have kids half a dozen times to your family it is a great time to practice breathing, pausing and responding.

"When you own your breath. No one can steal your peace." Author Unknown

#3) Compassion & Understanding for self and others

The holidays can be tough yes but remember that everyone else is going through it too. So, give a little compassion to yourself and others. What does that look like? Be kind—first to yourself and then to others. Stop fighting and start loving yourself and others.

Your family loves you the best way they know how and may not understand how you feel with holiday stress.

Turn that phrase around, you love your family the best way you know how, and you may not understand how they feel with holiday stress.We all have our battles.

Everyone is working on themselves. Remember you are not the only one who struggles with stress.

Love a little more. We are all mirrors of each other.

“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” –Christopher Germer

4#) Meditation

Topping of these 4 ways to prepare for Thanksgiving—drum-roll please.

MEDITATION.

Yeah, you must hear it a lot eh? I do. The benefits of meditation are vast as are the ways to do meditation.This is a free way to set your mind, body and soul free from the confines of stress. All you need is you. You can meditate anywhere. My favorite meditation timer is Insight Timer .If you aren’t sure where to begin they have intro courses.

“To fight with others is to fight with ourselves.” Cathelina Salas

I leave you with this.

You are amazing and so is your family. Technically we are all related, so that means I am your family. I hope your week goes well.

When you feel your anxiety and stress levels rise remember to: Pause, Breath, Respond and Meditate.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Namaste`

Cathelina