The holiday season comes with its in-built stress and demands on everyone. The culture of gift-giving, spending time together with family members and general fantasies all add up to the demands of the season for all of us. However, if you have experienced a year when everything seemed to have gone wrong, you may find that the stress of the holiday added upon your existing situation makes life too complex. Maybe you had a number of changes in your life that happened all about the same time. It could be that you had some difficult transitions one after the other all through the year. You might have lost something significant such as a job or a career. It could even be that you had a major relocation during the year.
As the holiday season approaches, you may be finding it difficult to look ahead to the celebrations. Your life seems challenging enough as it is. You may even find no reason to celebrate at all.
We would like to reassure you that you are not alone in your struggles. We would like to offer you some tips and suggestions to help you walk through the first holiday season after your life-changing event.
Tips:
1. Take a break from your normal routine. Find a means to be alone in a place where you can just relax.
2. Take time to celebrate the past. Recast the memories of the good times you had during previous holiday seasons.
3. Do not stress yourself out over things you may not be able to do in your present circumstances. Instead be thankful for the gift of life.
4. Know that the present stage of your life will pass. The transitional feeling of a different kind of season will not last forever.
5. Make changes in your holiday plans as necessary to accommodate your limitations without giving up the truly essentials of the celebration.
6. Have an open mind and be creative in using alternative options to achieve your holiday goals.
7. Ask for help if you need it. This is especially relevant if you are feeling isolated or sad.
8. Take time to focus on the REAL REASON for the season- the birth of Jesus the Saviour. It is meant to be a period of hope. He is also the Redeemer. He is able to give you a unique type of joy and new reasons to celebrate.
For additional tips and tools to help you stay on top of your situation during the holiday season, please click here.
For more resources on managing changes in your life ALL YEAR ROUND, please visit
www.staysanethroughchange.com
Dave Webster and Tolu Adeleye, authors and life-change experts, through their consultancy provide you and your clients with tools for dealing with life transitions. Their areas of expertise include family- and career-related transitions.
To get instant access to such tools, visit www.staysanethroughchange.com
You may reach the authors through info@staysanethroughchange.com
Monday, December 11, 2006
Friday, December 8, 2006
Stay Sane Through the First Holiday Season After Your Divorce
The holiday season comes with its in-built stress and demands on everyone. The culture of gift-giving, spending time together with family members and general fantasies all add up to the demands of the season for all of us. However, if you have recently experienced the trauma of a breakdown in your marital relationship or a divorce, you may find that the stress of the holiday season added upon your existing situation makes life too complex.
As the holiday season approaches, you may even be finding it difficult to look ahead to the celebrations. Your life seems challenging enough as it is. You may be asking ‘What is there to celebrate?’
We would like to reassure you that you are not alone in your struggles. We would like to offer you some tips and suggestions to help you walk through the first holiday season after your divorce.
Tips:
1. It is important to forgive the past so as to free yourself to enjoy your time in a different and new way. Pause, mourn and acknowledge your past life.
2. Take time to celebrate the past. Embrace the memories of past holiday seasons when your lost relationship was intact.
3. List your fears about the upcoming season. They may be related to the lost love of your life and the inability to carry out your normal traditions.
4. Accept the limitations of the present.
5. List your new options. Analyze the resources that are within your reach as a single person or single parent.
6. Have an open mind and be creative in using alternative options to achieve your holiday goals. For example, you can join community celebrations if you find that you are going to be alone.
7. Know that this stage too will pass. The transitional feeling of a different kind of family get-together will not last forever.
8. Take time to focus on the REAL REASON for the season- the birth of Jesus the Saviour. It is meant to be a period of hope. He is also the Redeemer. He is able to give you a unique type of joy and new reasons to celebrate.
9. If you have children who live with you or your ex-spouse, try and get them involved in the planning for the holiday.
10. Use your wisdom to decide which invitation for parties to honour especially during the first holiday after your divorce.
11. Find ways to nurture yourself. Care for yourself. Spend time with discerning friends and family who understand your emotions and will nurture you.
For additional tips and tools to help you stay on top of your situation during the holiday season, please click here.
For more resources on managing changes in your life ALL YEAR ROUND, please visit
Dave Webster and Tolu Adeleye, authors and life-change experts, through their consultancy provide you and your clients with tools for dealing with life transitions. Their areas of expertise include family- and career-related transitions.
To get instant access to such tools, visit www.staysanethroughchange.com
You may reach the authors through info@staysanethroughchange.com
Thursday, December 7, 2006
re. Stay Sane through holiday season after your life-changing event
As I look at this blog, I can easily identify with it, both on a personal as well as a professional level. On the personal level, I lost my brother to a pulmonary embolism this summer and as we enter the Christmas season my thoughts go out to my sister-in-law.
In our last conversation she expressed the difficulties she was experiencing with her loss. She mentioned that some days were better than others but her bad days were just downright difficult to live through.
I know the holidays are going to accentuate those bad days. As she reflects on how and what they did together last Christmas, those memories will elevate the sense of her loss. I believe the tips on this blog will undoubtedly help her to deal with the grief and emotions that she will experience during the holiday celebrations.
In our last conversation she expressed the difficulties she was experiencing with her loss. She mentioned that some days were better than others but her bad days were just downright difficult to live through.
I know the holidays are going to accentuate those bad days. As she reflects on how and what they did together last Christmas, those memories will elevate the sense of her loss. I believe the tips on this blog will undoubtedly help her to deal with the grief and emotions that she will experience during the holiday celebrations.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Stay Sane through the holiday season after your life-changing event
The holiday season comes with its in-built stress and demands on everyone. The culture of gift-giving, spending time together with family members and general fantasies all add up to the demands of the season for all of us. However, if you have experienced a recent life-changing event, you may find that the stress of the holiday added upon your existing situation makes life too complex. Maybe you have lost something significant such as a job or a career. It could even be that you had a major relocation during the year. On the other hand, you may have lost someone very important due to death. It may be that you had a breakdown in your marital relationship that ended in divorce. All these events cause dramatic changes in your life. You may be finding it really hard to adjust to the challenges of the new situation imposed by your loss.
As the holiday season approaches, you may be finding it difficult to look ahead to the celebrations. Your life seems challenging enough as it is. You may even find no reason to celebrate at all.
We would like to reassure you that you are not alone in your struggles. We would like to offer you some tips and suggestions to help you walk through the first holiday season after your life-changing event.
Tips:
1. Take time to celebrate the past. Embrace the memories of past holiday seasons.
2. You need to face the reality that this holiday season cannot be the same as the last season when you had that loved one or thing that you have recently lost.
3. Know your limitations and do not spread yourself thin trying to meet other people’s expectations.
4. Make changes in your holiday plans as necessary to accommodate your limitations without giving up the truly essentials of the celebration.
5. Have an open mind and be creative in using alternative options to achieve your holiday goals.
6. Ask for help if you need it. This is especially relevant if you are feeling isolated or sad.
7. Take time to focus on the REAL REASON for the season- the birth of Jesus the Saviour. It is meant to be a period of hope. He is also the Redeemer. He is able to give you a unique type of joy and new reasons to celebrate.
For additional tips and tools to help you stay on top of your situation during the holiday season, please click here.
For more resources on managing changes in your life ALL YEAR ROUND, please visit
http://www.staysanethroughchange.com/
Dave Webster and Tolu Adeleye, authors and life-change experts, through their consultancy provide you and your clients with tools for dealing with life transitions. Their areas of expertise include family- and career-related transitions.
To get instant access to such tools, visit http://www.staysanethroughchange.com/
You may reach the authors through info@staysanethroughchange.com
As the holiday season approaches, you may be finding it difficult to look ahead to the celebrations. Your life seems challenging enough as it is. You may even find no reason to celebrate at all.
We would like to reassure you that you are not alone in your struggles. We would like to offer you some tips and suggestions to help you walk through the first holiday season after your life-changing event.
Tips:
1. Take time to celebrate the past. Embrace the memories of past holiday seasons.
2. You need to face the reality that this holiday season cannot be the same as the last season when you had that loved one or thing that you have recently lost.
3. Know your limitations and do not spread yourself thin trying to meet other people’s expectations.
4. Make changes in your holiday plans as necessary to accommodate your limitations without giving up the truly essentials of the celebration.
5. Have an open mind and be creative in using alternative options to achieve your holiday goals.
6. Ask for help if you need it. This is especially relevant if you are feeling isolated or sad.
7. Take time to focus on the REAL REASON for the season- the birth of Jesus the Saviour. It is meant to be a period of hope. He is also the Redeemer. He is able to give you a unique type of joy and new reasons to celebrate.
For additional tips and tools to help you stay on top of your situation during the holiday season, please click here.
For more resources on managing changes in your life ALL YEAR ROUND, please visit
http://www.staysanethroughchange.com/
Dave Webster and Tolu Adeleye, authors and life-change experts, through their consultancy provide you and your clients with tools for dealing with life transitions. Their areas of expertise include family- and career-related transitions.
To get instant access to such tools, visit http://www.staysanethroughchange.com/
You may reach the authors through info@staysanethroughchange.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
