With Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa all celebrated in close succession, stress is to be expected, isn’t it? Melissa is an expert in how to reframe your mindset so you can stress less. Read on to learn how to Enjoy the Holidays with these valuable tips!

Choose How You Want to Feel
Stress less – Set an intention
Stress less – Choose how you want to feel!
Photo by Ariel Lustre on Unsplash

How do you want to feel during this holiday season? Or any day for that matter? Calm, empowered, productive, happy, loved, appreciated, healthy…?

You truly have the power to choose!

Over the past two decades, I have professionally and personally witnessed the benefits of intention as healing patients recovered and rewired their brains. If a patient does not have the intention to heal and feel stronger, their hospital stay will last longer or they will not get out of bed or they need more medication. Personally, I watched my father with Diabetes unexpectedly require a triple bypass operation. He made the intention that he would not need additional cardiac rehabilitation. He shocked the nurses with his drive to walk the floor as soon as possible and healed beautifully, no cardiac rehabilitation needed.

Intention can prevent us from succumbing to the negative effects of stress. Chronic stress (stress over multiple days) will affect our physical, emotional and cognitive health. Depleting us while juggling a list of “to do” items this month is not the goal. Stress, overwhelm, and negative emotions are contagious, BUT so are positive emotions. However, if we do not mindfully and consciously decide how we want to feel, it is easy to move through the day on auto-pilot or to get bounced around by the day’s events and responsibilities. How many of us have ended the day taking care of patients and realized that we did not eat as needed or go to the bathroom or truly take care of ourselves?

Set Your Intention and Stress Less!
One of the best ways to ensure that this holiday is a celebration for you and your loved ones at home, at work or in the community is to set intentions. Intention is the first step in creating what we need or want to accomplish each day. It prepares the brain to initiate and focus.

When intention is combined with conscious decision-making and then followed by specific action, watch out! It is a powerful combination and puts you on the path to be in the world in a way that feels best for you.

Here are the steps to enjoy more and stress less (these will be supportive anytime of the year):

Identify how you want to feel. This is an empowering strategy which is even more helpful during the holidays when you may be surrounded by others and their strong emotions.
Write these feelings and emotions down for yourself. Possibly leave space for your loved ones to add their feelings as well.

Stress less – Write down your intentions and create a plan! Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Ask your loved ones and those close to you how they want to feel over the holidays. Consider writing these responses as well. Note any overlap or similarities. What are the differences?
Create goals or specific action steps that will support any feelings and emotions you have identified.
Sit down with your calendar or planner individually or as a couple or a family. Make a concrete plan by prioritizing and scheduling the actions and events that will support the most powerful and positive feelings. If there are obligations, schedule time to rest or recharge after each one.
You give to others every day. Now is certainly a time to connect and take care of the greatest presents that you have in this world, the people you love and that includes yourself.

Get Your Free Holiday Guide! As a gift for you, I have provided a free holiday guide to keep you sane, healthy, and to have more fun! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/powerfultransformationshifts.
Guest Author Bio:
Melissa H. Wolak, MS, CCC-SLP is a transformation coach and speaker providing education and empowering strategies to support functional, healthy lifestyle changes, resiliency, productivity, and wellbeing. She supports the goal to live in more alignment and vitally by decreasing the effects of chronic stress and optimizing your brain’s potential while preventing cognitive decline and disease. Her work is influenced by her 20 years of experience as a speech-language cognitive therapist and facilitator of support groups while working in the medical and educational settings with additional training in the areas of Food as Medicine, Memory, Mindfulness, Anxiety and Stress Management.

To read her latest “brain changer” posts and find out more about Melissa, check out her website: melissawolak.com.

You can schedule an appointment or email Melissa at melissa@melissawolak.com

“Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!
Use Discount Code “Newclient”for a 15% Discount!”

The post Enjoy More and Stress Less this Holiday with One Powerful Strategy appeared first on Student Homeworks.