THE Essential Holiday Survival Tip

"Expectation is the root of all heartache."   ~ William Shakespeare

When was the last time you stopped to think about what was most important to you during the holiday season? Often, we get so caught up in everything we think we must do that we forget what’s really important. And because of all that holiday stress and pressure to do more, the holidays end up being a holiday hassle rather than a joy.

So, if you’re finding that the holidays aren’t always so jolly and bright for you, don’t dismay. You are not alone! As a matter of fact, studies show that at least 88% of people experience high levels of what is becoming known as “Festive Stress”. Many of the common reasons are family turmoil, depression, overeating, financial strain and in a nutshell, unrealistic expectations about what the holidays should be. 

The good news is, I have one indispensable holiday survival tip that if you can implement, is going to help you eliminate tons of stress, overwhelm and guilt so you can truly enjoy your holidays.  

What is it? It's actually the same tip I'd give for living a joyous life all year long...

Let go of expectations, especially those that are thrust upon you by external forces and instead set an intention for this holiday season to live in the present moment by staying focused on what's truly important to you.

As I mentioned above, one of the main reasons we get so stressed during the holidays is that we place these crazy, unrealistic expectations on ourselves. Instead of staying focused on what is really important to us, we get caught up in the whirlwind of shopping, baking, entertaining, gifts, etc. Which are all great - if you really want to do them, but if you are only doing those things because you think you should, then that is where the stress starts to come into play. Not to mention if you put so much pressure on yourself to make everything “perfect” for everyone, there is no doubt you are setting yourself up for extra stress and disappointment.

There seems to be enough stress in daily life, so let’s make the holiday season different for you by giving yourself permission to let go of the pressures and expectation you're feeling and instead, focus on what's most important to you.

Here are some guidelines to help you implement this essential tip in order to create peaceful, stress-free holidays: 

• Focus on what is most important to you this holiday season, not what you feel you "should" do. Evaluate and take note of what you value most.
• Let go of what others think. The expectations that usually cause us the most trouble are those that we've created for ourselves based on what other people will think. (AKA - external expectations.) Ask yourself this question, "Am I placing more value on what other people think then I am on the things I truly value most?" If that's the case, then it's time to let go of what others think and put your values at the top of the list.
• Give yourself permission to eliminate the things that aren't at the top of the list. This is one of the hardest parts because we are conditioned and driven to do things based on guilt caused by "shoulds". But if that's the only reason you are doing something, then give yourself permission to take it off your list. Only allow things on your holiday planning list that are in alignment with what you value most. 
• Set the intention for yourself that you will live in the present moment and stay focused on what's truly important to you. 

For me, what's most important during the holidays are: being present with family and close friends; having faith and peace; spreading love and joy. And as long as I don't lose sight of these things when I'm setting my intentions and planning for the holidays, all is well.

If you can follow the steps above, and only plan your holidays around those things you value most, you can rest assured that your holidays will be merry and bright too! 

Set yourself up to flourish in the new year. Click here to start the Heroic Basic Training now, and with it, get free premium access to the Heroic app for a full year! As well as a Heroic Strategy Session with me once you complete the training.