Another holiday season is upon us, with many feeling stressed and emotionally exhausted. Our emotional awareness is more critical than ever to feel joy during the holidays.
Stay In Control Of Your Emotions This Holiday Season
How excited are you about this holiday season? Are you feeling the holiday spirit of joy or stress?
The holiday season's busyness can intensify emotions, robbing us of joy if we allow it to. It's essential to recognize that our feelings guide all we do. Remembering this, we can manage powerful emotions from stealing our joy over the holidays.
We all feel exhausted and irritable at times, especially during the high stress of the season. One of our most significant challenges, without a doubt, is having the ability to engage our emotions to assist in making rational decisions. Developing these skills will make a tremendous difference in the quality of our lives and those around us. Yes, controlling our emotions changes everything.
The Holiday Season Can Trigger Emotions
Managing our emotions effectively throughout the holidays requires us to be more tolerant of ourselves and others. Packaging patience and not sweating the small stuff is always good practice and can reduce our stress. Considerable time and effort are necessary to learn to effectively read our emotions and understand how they affect our decision-making and our ability to empathize with others. Managing them comes next, which requires significant skill. Over time, these skills will increase our emotional intelligence and advance our awareness. Undoubtedly, there will be times when we feel overwhelmed and frustrated during the holidays. When this happens, these skills will assist in avoiding emotional hijacking situations.
What Is Emotional Hijacking?
An emotional hijacking situation is often triggered by something that overwhelms our emotions and then takes control of our behaviour. Typically, it happens so quickly that before we know it, an explosion of overpowering and intense feelings/emotions propel us to react impulsively to the situation without taking the time to calm ourselves and respond rationally.
Simple Steps To Control an Emotional Hijacking
You can learn to control emotional hijacking - believe it or not, your ability to breathe can save you from an emotional hijacking, as it only takes 10 seconds or less for your brain to regain control of highly charged emotions.
This holiday season, if you feel your emotions getting the better of you, be sure to try the following steps to remain calm:
- Stop and take a deep breath
- Exhale and then start counting: 1, 2, 3…
- Keep counting until you reach 10
- Remember to breathe in deeply while counting
14 Straightforward Ways To Reduce Stress And Help You Navigate The Holidays
- Plan and prioritize: Make a to-do list and set clear priorities to manage your time effectively.
- Set a budget: Financial stress is typical during the holidays, so establish and stick to a budget.
- Delegate tasks: Don't try to do everything yourself; ask for help from family and friends.
- Learn to say no: It's okay to decline invitations or requests that will add to your stress.
- Take breaks: Make time for yourself to relax and recharge, even if it's just a few minutes each day.
- Stay active: Exercise can help reduce stress, so maintain your regular fitness routine.
- Practice mindfulness: Engage in activities like meditation or deep breathing to stay present and reduce anxiety.
- Simplify traditions: Consider scaling down on decorations, gifts, or events to reduce the holiday chaos.
- Connect with loved ones: Spend quality time with family and friends to create meaningful memories.
- Get enough sleep: Adequate rest is crucial for managing stress, so prioritize a good night's sleep.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine: Excessive consumption can exacerbate stress, so moderate your intake.
- Plan for self-care: Schedule self-care activities like spa days, reading, or hobbies to unwind.
- Manage expectations: Understand that perfection isn't necessary, and things may not always go as planned.
- Be flexible: Be open to changes in your holiday plans and adapt as needed.
Remember that the holiday season is about enjoyment and togetherness, so don't let stress overshadow the joy.Start fresh this holiday season! Don't hesitate to shake things up; try new things and strengthen your emotional intelligence simultaneously. I hope you find restful and serene moments to take time to reflect and feel joy this holiday season. Be sure to check out many more motivational blogs here.
This article was originally published on December 7, 2019, and updated (November 2023).
More Motivational Reads Here »
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
Sign up for monthly tips to build your Emotional Intelligence and reduce Emotional Hijacking!
