From Ugh to Wow: 10 Tips to Transform Your Holiday Challenges

Let's begin by

 Noticing the 'Ugh' and the 'Wow'!

Holidays are here and with holidays come plenty of 'Wow' moments:

• New activities to try, 
• Lot of fun moments, 
• Time with family, friends and loved ones,
• Exclusive time for yourself,
• Loads of food 

and many more awesome happenings.

Unfortunately, with holidays also come lot of 'Ugh' moments.

• Family tension and relationship politics,
• Unhealthy food and drinking habits,
• Emotional rollercoasters,
• Financial strain,
• Catering too much to others' needs,

and countless other 'Ugh' triggers.

In India we use the expression, 'Ayyo' to express situations which feels Ugh!

Are you ready?

10 Tips to transform Holiday challenges

Tip # 1: Set Realistic Expectations:

I know you want to do it all this holiday.

You want to visit all those fantastic places. You want to buy your entire family those awesome gifts. You want to do all those thrilling activities.

The picture-perfect holiday portrayed in media can create unrealistic expectations.

But.....

Instead of striving for perfection, focus on creating meaningful moments.

Focus on those small memories that bring you warmth and joy.

And.... it's ok if things don't go exactly as you planned!

Be realistic, not perfectionistic!

Tip # 2: Prioritize Self-Care

You might think that self-care is a chore and you may feel like avoiding it this holiday.

You may feel like catering to others' needs, watching for others' comforts.

But remember you can't pour from an empty cup.

So, make time for activities that help you recharge:

• Walk in nature,
• Read a book,
• Practice a relaxation technique,
• Do some deep breathing,
• Meditate........

Yay! You are getting there...

Slowly moving towards creating the 'Wow' holiday!

Tip # 3: Manage Financial Stress

Gift-giving and holiday expenses can strain your budget.

This is where a lot of sweating happens.

So, be watchful.

Here are some simple ways you can reduce your financial strain:

• Create a realistic spending plan and stick to it.
• Think of handcrafted or heartfelt gifts; these carry more meaning than expensive items.
• How about gift exchanges? Talk to your friends if they might consider it.
• Set expectations and lay down boundaries with family and friends beforehand. This helps a lot in taking off your strain in finances.

My bulk of gift giving this holiday has been making a three ingredient home made Indian sweet (Coconut Barfi) which took about an hour to make and another 20 minutes to pack and gift wrap. But that was it. And everyone has been loving it!

Tip # 4: Navigate Family Dynamics

This is where most of the nightmares happen.

FAMILY DRAMAS..........

Yikes!

While families generally mean well and have so much love for you, family gatherings can sometimes bring up tension and all past baggage seems to be floating towards you.

So, then, you may ask, Lata, what do I do?

Here are my super tools for more success with family holidays:

• Be clear about the boundaries you want to set and SET IT!
• Decide how much you will engage with them. 
• Give yourself permission to withdraw into your own space whenever needed.
• Focus on shared positive experiences and happy memories.
• If conversations become stressful....... and OMG..... there can be so much stress there.......
  • Take a moment to step away and get back into your calm space within.
  • Agree to disagree respectfully.
  • Be unafraid to say, 'Let's talk about this another time', and change the subject.

Tip # 5: Practice Mindful Eating and Drinking

Holiday feasts are super fun and literally the highlight of the holidays.

The cakes, the cookies, the delicious multi-course dinners, the ultra tempting deserts...... 

Ooh...La..La..My mouth is already watering!

And of course for those  who drink, the unending choices that are available in drinks.

Generally, many of us end up overindulging in both food and drink and that leaves us with sluggishness, feeling sick, low energy, hangovers and can also get us super cranky and in a low mood.

My motto is: Approach meals with mindfulness, moderation and balance.

Tip # 6: Acknowledge and

Honor Your Emotions

Joy, laughter, excitement, happiness are all part of the uplifting emotions that are the gifts of the holiday season.

But we also have irritation, annoyance, resentment, anger, anxiety, sadness and many more that tag along.

So, take time to acknowledge the emotions which come up.

Honor them!

If you're missing someone or feeling lonely, give yourself permission to grieve or feel the way you do.

If you are feeling anger, annoyance, sadness, move away and allow yourself to feel the emotion.....

And choose to  express these emotions in ways that promote healing within you and  hopefully bonding with others.

Tip # 7: Focus on Gratitude

Gratitude has a powerful effect on mental well-being. 

Every day during the holiday season, remind yourself of the many things to be grateful about.

Create an end of the day ritual and journal for only 3 minutes.

Complete the sentence, 'Today, I am grateful for.........'

and list at least 5 things that fill you with gratitude.

I have a powerful Gratitude Meditation on my website. Go ahead and download it and listen to this during the holidays.

Tip # 8: Reach out for Support

If the holiday season seems overwhelming, don't hesitate to reach out for help.

Talk to a trusted friend

or a loving family member

or a counselor or therapist.

Know that you are not alone. There is always help around you and for you.

Tip # 9: Embrace the Spirit of Giving

Sometimes, shifting the focus from, 'What am I getting?' to 'What can I do for someone?'...

can transform your holiday experience.

Volunteer your time,

Donate to a cause you care about, or 

simply extend kindness to those around you.

Acts of generosity can warm your heart like nothing else.

Gift yourself more happiness and joy by being in the energy of 'giving'.

Tip # 10: Take THE Decision

Many many years back, when we were embarking on a family holiday, my husband gave a little pep talk, more like a speech actually.

He told our two middle-school daughters that:

' We have spent a lot of money for this holiday trip and so....

We are going to take a decision...

a decision to be HAPPY, no matter what.

Be HAPPY when we get what we want and ....

Be HAPPY when we don't get what we want.

 Every morning when we get out of bed, we decide...

I will be HAPPY today.

It is not enough that we spend all this money.....

Our holiday will be truly successful, when we ENJOY it.

And ENJOYING the holiday is not a consequence...

but a decision we take every moment.'

This speech was power packed and filled with bustling, motivating energy....

much like the speech in the movie 'Miracle'... (If you haven't watched it, do watch).

and the movie 'Chakde' (Hindi Bollywood movie) Look it up. It's one of our favorites.

But, hey, the speech worked. We had a fabulous, memorable holiday. The best ever.

Moving to the 'Wow'.

From Ugh to Wow!

As we practice these simple, but powerful tips, we slowly transform our holiday experience 

From Ugh to Wow!

And you can then tell yourself, Yay! What an amazing holiday!

Don't forget to practice it.

These tips work best when practiced.

So, go ahead and try them out and let me know, which ones were the most useful for you.

What was your favorite tip?

Also, leave a comment below and tell me, which was your favorite tip?

If you are needing support, try some coaching.

Maneuvering through holidays can be hard.

If you feel like you need some gentle hand holding, some compassionate listening and  some clarity on how to navigate challenges,

Reach out to me by:

Text or WhatsApp me @ +1-408-508-9419

or schedule a free complimentary consult at the link below!

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