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I believe God wants you to know ... ... that you can
make the end of this work week be the end of
‘work’ forever. What we call “work”
can, and should, be a joy. It can be that for
you beginning now—no matter what you are doing. Simply see the
daily work of your hands as the pathway to
where you want to be. Then, be grateful that life has given
you this path. |
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“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year”
But it doesn’t mention that December is also the most stressful time of the year. I mean, my life is already too stressful without Christmas.
I always feel a huge load when the end of the year approaches. There’s this huge pressure to attend gatherings, walk in decorated streets, buy gifts, overspend, and get into the festive mood. And the absence of loved ones doesn’t make it any easier. As the years progress, the family table gets smaller and smaller, leaving us thinking about the ones who left.
Then comes the New Year and the pressure to start fresh—to write countless resolutions that will most likely make little sense by mid-July and almost zero sense by the end of November.
So, no, not everyone feels jolly during the holidays. Some of us dislike the crowds and the endless gatherings and just want to make it through the new year quietly and peacefully.
But how to survive when our routine is deeply disrupted? What to do when we slowly drift away from who we truly are just to please other people?
1. No plans that don’t align with my values. If we want to stay sane this holiday season, we must have the courage to respectfully decline the plans that conflict with our priorities. Setting boundaries around over-commitment helps us to avoid stress. It’s a reminder to prioritize our comfort, peace of mind, and the people who truly matter.
2. No overspending. The best way to not overspend is to stick to a budget…and a self-promise. Be honest about what you and others really need and identify any triggers that might push you to impulsively spend. If you feel the urge to buy something, pause and give yourself some time and space to examine whether or not you need that object.
3. No pressure to be happy. The pressure to be happy during the holidays is sometimes overwhelming and tiring. We often feel drained once the holidays end because of our disrupted routines and forced emotions. If we want to remain connected to ourselves, we must prioritize authenticity. We might feel anxious, stressed, sad, or reluctant, which is perfectly normal. We don’t need to hide our real emotions just to please others or to fit in.
4. No reinventing myself. This year, I’m aiming for long-term growth—not short-term goals. Fresh starts tend to trigger dopamine, pushing us to make New Year’s resolutions that might fade away by February. Instead of falling into the whole trap of “new year, new me,” focus on the present moment and how you can use it to create sustainable, consistent growth.
5. No drifting away from my routine. The holiday season is busy, draining, and fast, so if we want to maintain a healthy routine that keeps us happy and productive, we must prioritize the things that keep us grounded—aka self-care. Find some quiet time during the holidays that helps you recharge and reconnect with your deepest desires.
When the holidays end, we shouldn’t feel disconnected or drained. Make sure you are constantly pausing, breathing, loving yourself, and accepting your emotions—even if they don’t align with the norm.
~
author: Elyane Youssef
Image: giselle_dekel/Instagram
I wrote a Holy Days poem, back in 2008, which is, somehow, 16 years ago, now.
Darkness is not driven out by wishful thinking, by hope alone. Progress, equality, hope, safety, love, and harmony are created by caring.
Jungles and forests and prairies and oceans and rivers, under threat. 70% of animals, gone. Insects, gone. Fireflies, gone!
White Christmases in NYC, Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore, Richmond, Dover and other cities, gone. Fires in the winter, common.
Plastic consumption, normalized. Coffee for-here in a to-go plastic-lined paper cup, normalized.
A violent, insecure, lying conman and tyrant who’d like to gut sane immigration policy, healthcare, Social Security, ramp up already criminal economic inequality—where a dozen men own more wealth than half the nation. The Supreme Court killed affirmative action in colleges and new law students of color just dropped to 3%, a drop of 50%. War crimes abroad, and basic gay rights imperiled, daily. Rape and forced birth is a thing, a thing of violence supported by the state, in many states. Perhaps, soon, nationally. Climate crisis, finally confronted, is suddenly given new backing. Journalism, bled out…90% of what has risen is Big Tech-funded and -controlled.
And yet, and yet, and yet. That is our prayer, these holy-days.
For each threat, there are good souls, working and playing to bring new life and joy and health and safety and beauty, through caring. Through real action, not merely prayers or thoughts.
For you good souls, out there, remember you are in here. You are in this community—we are connected. You are not alone. You are not alone. What is, in fact, truly normal is caring, is kindness, is decency. We may be bent and twisted or warped by consumption and speed and isolation and bad examples…but pull close. Pull close to the hearth. Pull close in love, in strength, in kindness.
Harmony is normal. It is how things work, how things flow, how things birth, and grow and age and pass away.
Hate is a wound in need of healing. It brings heat, which may be mistaken for cheer or excitement to fill a nervous heart…but it only wounds further.
Let us invest in one another—that, not arming ourselves, is the only true safety we have in a society. Even if we live far off, in the woods or desert or on an island..we depend on one another. So: let us invest in compassion—that, not conspiracy theories or wasteful selfishness or prejudice, is the only happiness available to any of us.
Let us invest in real love…the stuff of earth and wind and holly and repair—not the stuff of Hallmark clichés, saccharine othering, or circumscribed tribal affection…these Holydays.
Let these Holy Days remind us that, at this ever-unfolding fork in the road of this planet’s history, we have a path to take.
And we have a choice to make.
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