This time of year can be one of the most challenging for a lot of folks.
For those of us living with depression or anxiety, this means the holidays
can pose a high risk to our wellness.
I was reminded of a very important LifeTOOL just last night and knew I
had to share it with you today!
Although this LifeTOOL can be used throughout the year, it has particular
application to the holidays.
So, last night I was putting up my Christmas tree. It is an artificial one I’ve
had for at least 10 years – I love it!
When it came to hooking up all the lights – I had one really big section
where the lights were still OUT.
I spent another 15 minutes working on it, still I couldn’t get them to work!
I could feel my STRESS levels starting to RISE, so I used the following LifeTOOL:
The “STEP AWAY“
It really is as simple as its name implies – step away!
Here are just a few of the holiday situations where you may need to use it:
1) You are at a party or someone’s house and find yourself having to be
around people who are either triggering or just plain annoying!
STEP AWAY!
2) You are at a holiday dinner where your uncle has decided to turn the
conversation in to a political discussion!
STEP AWAY!
3) You are out shopping for some holiday items. There are so many more
people than you’re used to & find yourself feeling anxious or overwhelmed!
STEP AWAY!
The key here is to STEP AWAY from the situation to give you a moment of
breathing space & then come back with a renewed capacity to MANAGE it!
By the way, after doing my STEP AWAY from the tree – I was able to figure
out what was wrong with the lights & got them working!
Wishing you a Happy and Healthy Holiday!

via Esperanza – Hope To Cope
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