Mini-Ep 255: Hang On To Your Nails

Holiday Pressure

The holiday season often brings immense pressure, especially when juggling work and family responsibilities. Doree Shafrir shares a listener's struggle with being the sole provider for her family while managing holiday preparations and work deadlines. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, even when it feels like an impossible task, and suggests reaching out for moral support to combat shame spirals 1. Kate Spencer advises starting with small, manageable tasks to gain a sense of accomplishment and reduce stress 2.

People put all this pressure on themselves to make things cheery for other people, but forget about making things cheery for themselves.

--- Kate Spencer

Both hosts agree that it's okay to adjust holiday expectations and involve children in age-appropriate ways to ease the burden 2.

   

Holiday Grief

Coping with grief during the holidays can be particularly challenging, especially for those who have recently lost loved ones. A listener shares her experience of being newly orphaned and the dilemma of how to spend the holidays without her parents 3. Kate Spencer and Doree Shafrir3.

You should be allowed to grieve through the holidays around your family. You don't need to go hide it if that's not what you want to do.

--- Kate Spencer

Additionally, Doree recommends mindfulness meditation as a tool for finding calm and suggests using UCLA's free mindfulness app 4.