Stress has become an epidemic. And at the holidays any emotions we are experiencing are magnified, says guest and counselor, Paula Griffin. So naturally, when perfectionism rears its ugly head, we end up stressing out because we haven’t created our perceived perfect holiday. Hindsight is 20/20, and we can learn from reflecting on our holiday expectations. Many of the stories we believe about celebrating the holidays end up making us feel stressed instead of truly enjoying the holiday season.

One of the tools that Paula discusses to manage this stress comes from a book we discussed in our book club. Loving What Is, by Byron Katie. Katie talks about how we can always question what we perceive to be true. It may be true or may not. A story we believe, such as one where holidays need to be a re-enactment of a Norman Rockwell image, may actually lead us down a stressful path if we perceive our holiday experience to be subpar comparatively.  As midlife women, we can rewrite our holiday expectations and set ourselves up for a more relaxing experience with our loved ones. When the next holiday rolls around, how do you want to look back on it?

Follow Paul Griffin on Instagram  @Second_Wind_Friend  

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