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What's your first reaction when you think of Thanksgiving? For a lot of us, the excitement of a holiday focused on being with loved ones comes with a twinge of discomfort about family dynamics. Hopes for a holiday of warmth and closeness are high, but so is the stress. Still, we all keep coming back for more. How to reduce the stress and make this the best possible Thanksgiving? Positive psychology—or the science of flourishing— has a lot to offer in response to this question. Here’s an adaptation of a tool I have in my back pocket for when a client is moving into a moment where there are a lot of moving parts and they want to show up at their best. Five steps to showing up for Thanksgiving at your best Step 1 Take a moment to remember what you value about Thanksgiving. It might be about being with the people you love, a gorgeous feast, or gratitude for what you have. We have so much blasted at us about the meaning of this holiday, but your answer is what matters. What’s it about for you? Step 2 Imagine the holiday going as well as it possibly could—and focus in on what you can control. How you greet others. How you prepare the house or the food you are bringing to the feast. How much you sleep and drink. Acts of kindness you can offer, including to yourself. Make these concrete and detailed in your mind. Step 3 Set your priorities. Decide what you most want to be able to say about how you showed up for this Thanksgiving. Pick one or two important things that you have control over. For example, I focused on my daughter by really listening to her. Or, I served a beautiful meal. What does success look like for you? Step 4 Prime yourself and remind yourself. Put a sticky on your bathroom mirror or on your desk to keep your priorities top of mind. Plan a check-in with yourself by setting an alarm or tying it to an action, like brushing your teeth or walking the dog. Whatever works for you. Step 5 Celebrate! Name and claim your wins. Do this, even if the walls are barely standing on Sunday. In coaching we always find something to celebrate, even if it’s just that we learned what we don’t want to happen next time. We build from there. And of course, reach out if you want to explore how to leverage positive psychology to show up at your best in moments of stress and to create positive change in partnership with me. Book a free 30-minute exploratory call here. With best & warmest regards, Jennifer 🍁
Are you #grateful?
It's November, and that means the leaves are falling in earnest here, the year is winding down, and—brace yourself—reminders to be #GRATEFUL will soon be popping up in all our feeds.
What's your first reaction when you think of Thanksgiving? For a lot of us, the excitement of a holiday focused on being with loved ones comes with a twinge of discomfort about family dynamics. Hopes for a holiday of warmth and closeness are high, but so is the stress. Still, we all keep coming back for more. How to reduce the stress and make this the best possible Thanksgiving? Positive psychology—or the science of flourishing— has a lot to offer in response to this question. Here’s an adaptation of a tool I have in my back pocket for when a client is moving into a moment where there are a lot of moving parts and they want to show up at their best. Five steps to showing up for Thanksgiving at your best Step 1 Take a moment to remember what you value about Thanksgiving. It might be about being with the people you love, a gorgeous feast, or gratitude for what you have. We have so much blasted at us about the meaning of this holiday, but your answer is what matters. What’s it about for you? Step 2 Imagine the holiday going as well as it possibly could—and focus in on what you can control. How you greet others. How you prepare the house or the food you are bringing to the feast. How much you sleep and drink. Acts of kindness you can offer, including to yourself. Make these concrete and detailed in your mind. Step 3 Set your priorities. Decide what you most want to be able to say about how you showed up for this Thanksgiving. Pick one or two important things that you have control over. For example, I focused on my daughter by really listening to her. Or, I served a beautiful meal. What does success look like for you? Step 4 Prime yourself and remind yourself. Put a sticky on your bathroom mirror or on your desk to keep your priorities top of mind. Plan a check-in with yourself by setting an alarm or tying it to an action, like brushing your teeth or walking the dog. Whatever works for you. Step 5 Celebrate! Name and claim your wins. Do this, even if the walls are barely standing on Sunday. In coaching we always find something to celebrate, even if it’s just that we learned what we don’t want to happen next time. We build from there. And of course, reach out if you want to explore how to leverage positive psychology to show up at your best in moments of stress and to create positive change in partnership with me. Book a free 30-minute exploratory call here. With best & warmest regards, Jennifer 🍁
Are you #grateful?
It's November, and that means the leaves are falling in earnest here, the year is winding down, and—brace yourself—reminders to be #GRATEFUL will soon be popping up in all our feeds.