Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates gathering with family and friends, giving back to those less fortunate and being thankful for the abundance we have in our lives. Connecting with family and friends, helping those in need, and pausing to practice gratitude are all things that scientifically have been shown to help us improve our mental health and yet I’m willing to bet most of us feel anything but mentally healthy during Thanksgiving. In fact most of us would probably say we feel overwhelmed, exhausted and stretched thin. What is it about this holiday that peaks our cortisol levels?
For those that spend Thanksgiving in the kitchen perhaps it’s the immense pressure of cooking a grandiose meal for a large group of people in a space that only houses one oven and one fridge. For those traveling to meet up with family perhaps it’s the airport traffic, long TSA lines, or flight cancellations due to weather occurring in the middle of the country may keep you up late with worry the night before your flight. Or perhaps it’s the preemptive anxiety over the many conversational topics that have become landmines across dinner tables: politics, religion, current international affairs, abortion, healthcare, trans rights etc. It doesn’t take much analysis of the holiday to realize that many of us are paying a high emotional and mental price in celebration of gratitude.
So what can we do to reclaim our peace and our sanity during a holiday that seems to be hell bent in bringing out the worst in us? Here are 5 ideas for how to rethink your Thanksgiving experience to get the most out of the positive aspects of this holiday:
Unplug yourself - Turn off the cellphone and log out of social media. Instead of constantly checking your work email or feeling jealous of your friend’s Thanksgiving spread on Instagram focus your mental energies on being more present in the moment. Bust out the board games, card games, charades, word games, books, paints/crayons, football, soccer ball etc. and channel your inner child. The world won’t fall apart if you unplug for a day and I guarantee you will feel better for it.
Practice mindfulness - Tune into your kids, your partner, your friends, your family, your pets, your neighbors. You don’t need to have a meditation practice to enjoy the benefits of being mindful. When you’re sitting around the table getting ready to eat ask yourself these 5 things - What do I smell? What do I see? What can I touch? What flavors am I tasting? After you’re done with your meal ask a friend or family member to join you for a walk. Walking after a meal will help you lower your blood sugar and it will give you more opportunities to practice mindfulness.
Ask for help - If you’re the one hosting the meal find ways to lighten the load so that you aren’t shouldering all the work. Delegate childcare to anyone that isn’t participating in the preparation of the meal - a partner, older cousins, grandparents. Ask friends or families who are attending to bring a side dish or dessert to help minimize the time you need to spend in the kitchen and maximize the time you spend with family. If cooking isn’t your thing don’t be afraid to outsource the entire meal from a local store or caterer.
Unsubscribe from all the marketing emails - you read that right. I bet right now you’re getting a ton of e-mails for Black Friday deals and it’s probably making you feel stressed about holiday shopping, how many gifts you need to purchase and how much money is in your bank account. This is your opportunity to click that unsubscribe button and declutter your inbox. Your bank account and your mental health will thank you for it.
Make gratitude a daily practice. Thanksgiving is only one day a year and so there can be extra pressure to feel grateful even if maybe we aren’t feeling particularly grateful on that day, and that can then lead to feelings of shame. What if instead of forcing ourselves to feel grateful on one day we practiced gratitude year round? Fostering a daily gratitude practice helps us to grow our positive mindset which can make us more resilient when we encounter difficult periods in our life. Practicting daily gratitude is as easy as going around the table at dinner every night and saying what you are thankful for that day.
If you're looking for more support during the holidays I am taking on 5 new clients between now and the end of the year. I am looking for five people who are determined to have a more enjoyable holiday season this year by working on their health & wellness. If you are someone who has historically felt like the months of November and December are just one mad rush of holiday events and responsibilities that you can't seem to stay on top of and you feel like your stress is beginning to affect everyone else's enjoyment of the holiday season then I'm talking to you. Get in contact for a free consultation (tatiana@hwcoaching.com) to learn how I can help you reclaim your peace and joy this holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!