“It’s just another day.”

Christmas Week is coming, and for many, that means there’s a certain dread in the air. While we want to see our family, it’s maybe not the easiest thing to do. If you’re alone, you might feel like you’re missing out. Instead of letting all the magical tropes get you down, consider this: you can’t make others feel happy, you can only control how you feel and if you lower your expectations, you’re likely to get through it with your psyche intact. And most importantly, remember, with a few exceptions, most people don’t intend to make you miserable. With that, you just have to get through a few days, and life will return to normal.

[And a special note: I started cracking up in the video because my darn hat kept wanting to fall off!]

How it works

What: Ease up, relax, be mindful and watch what others are doing.

When: Grab this mindset when you feel like your anxiety is increasing, or you find you want to dump mashed potatoes with gravy over someone’s head. Examples: 

• When a reasonable question provokes the crap outta you. You don’t owe them an answer, but they don’t mean harm, so simply change the subject. “Do I have a boyfriend, you’re so funny. What’s your golf handicap these days?”
• When your mom (insert any family member here) humiliates you in front of someone. “Mom’s so funny. Don’t tell her I still wet the bed after too much wine.”
• When you’re alone and convinced everyone else is having a magical time full of love, warmth, good food, and presents. “That’s a damn myth, and today is just another day, and I’m just where I’m supposed to be right now.” I don’t mean this to be condescending. Instead, accept you’re doing what you need to be doing for yourself right now. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Not during Christmas Week.

Benefit: You may have a less stressful, more delightful day based on your values rather than everyone else’s (including those imaginary values promoted by our culture).

If you use this tip – let me know how it works! Hit me up on social media or leave a comment here. And if you like this content, subscribe on YouTube and share it with your friends. Thank you.

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