Hello again…
October is a month of changes.
Fall can be a beautiful and cozy month where nature displays a festival of colours with cooler temperatures. We also celebrate Thanksgiving, that can be both joyful and stressful when it comes to family dynamics and our mental health.
Sometimes a simple celebration can be complex, combining expectations and reality for many of us. So, how do we cope with it when we experience tensions, unresolved issues that can resurface in family gatherings? Or maybe it is just a time to practice ‘gratitude’?
If you are experiencing some stressors with family gatherings, a few tips may help you navigate through it.
- Think about focusing on the positive experience, ‘connection instead or perfection’.
- Maybe set a limited time for yourself, you do not need to stay longer than what you can handle. Communicate ahead of time!
- Create a scape moment, a quick step outside can help you reset or find a quiet spot to reconvene with yourself.
- Mind your triggers, recognize them and think about some strategies ahead of time.
- Think about ‘Gratitude’ explore genuine feelings of what are you grateful for?
- Take good care of yourself! Avoid overloading your schedule, allow for some flexibility and rest well.
- Enjoy the gathering by setting realistic expectations with people.
Gratitude and mental health are deeply connected, developing the habit to practice gratitude daily can have a powerful and positive impact on your mental health and well-being.
Very important is to learn how to shift your focus to the positive rather than dwelling on ‘negative thoughts’ that are anxiety inducive. By shifting your thought process to embrace the ‘positive’ your mood improves because you are now stimulating your brain to produce dopamine and serotonin- neurotransmitters associated with happiness and satisfaction. Consequently, when you appreciate things around you, your body responds by reducing stress levels (cortisol levels decrease) promoting a calmer and more balanced state of mind.
Creating the habit of practicing and expressing gratitude in life, to others fosters stronger connections, increases trust and empathy, enhances resilience and changes your outlook in life ‘challenges are temporary and not indefinite.’
I encourage you to embrace gratitude, a powerful concept that is simple in words but very transformative when practiced. It is a conscious decision to focus on the good things life has presented you with and allowing the gift of awareness to reshape your mindset, how you connect with people and respond to challenges in life.
In simple words: Presence over perfections, shift your perception and put a daily intention forward.
Warmly,
