How To Survive The Holidays With Your Family

Holidays are coming and for some of us, family dynamics tend to flare up that can trigger reactions, anxiety, addictions and arguments. There's an inherent sense of stress created by last-minute shopping, frenetic traffic, and getting things ready, that can cause normal friction in some relationships to become easily exacerbated.

Can you relate?

Wouldn't it be great to have a totally different experience of the holidays this year? What if YOU were the catalyst for change? Could your family gatherings actually be argument-free, manageable, and even - gulp - enjoyable?

There is a very powerful, yet simple practice that can actually create a totally different perception and experience of the holidays with your family.

One little word.

Intention.

Before you dismiss this as mambo-jumbo we encourage you to give it a try. This has been a life-changing practice for us. We always set our intention right before a client meeting, coaching session or any important situation. It only takes 15 - 30 seconds and it’s amazing how, by setting our intention, our results are, more often than not, right on target.

Likewise, setting your intention for the day, or for any situation, mindfully puts you in the driver’s seat versus being in reactive mode, which is typically never a powerful stance.

So this holiday season, set your intention for your time together with family, or in-laws, or whoever typically causes you grief or anxiety. Visualize a positive, enjoyable outcome, and state it in the positive.

For example, rather than: to not have arguments. Change that to: experience harmony and connection. Or change: to not be reactive, to: remain grounded and patient. To not eat bad food and drink too much, to: honor my body and make the healthiest choices.

Get the idea? Take a moment, a deep breath, connect to your gut and to your higher-self and state it out loud. And you can continue to do this throughout the holidays. Just before you ring somebody's doorbell, standing there holding your poinsettia: "My intention is to have a fabulous time that's pleasant, argument-free and enjoyable."

You CAN be the catalyst for change. You can't change others but YOU can choose to remain calm and grounded despite external circumstances. And, if appropriate, you can share your intention with others. Maybe just before dinner you could say something like: "Hey, I'd like to set the intention to have a loving and enjoyable dinner. Wanna join me?"

That could be enough to shift everyone's energy at the table.

During our retreat “From Overwhelmed to Overjoyed” in magical and sunny San Miguel de Allende in February, we will be exploring the power of setting specific intentions to create a life you love that works at all levels. Hope you will join us! You can check out details and take advantage of the $100 Early Bird discount right now.

Next week we’ll be sharing powerful ways to deal with addictions and overindulgence during the holidays: too much sugar, alcohol, over-eating, etc. that will help you make stronger life-affirming choices.

Remember, you have the power to set up a wonderful and healthy experience for yourself this holiday season. It just takes the desire and willingness, and the mindful decision to set your intentions.

Thoughts? We'd love to hear what you have to say. Please share in comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Eli and Joseph