Does the Silly Season Trigger You?

The end of the year brings many things. It brings fun, socailising, family and friends, celebrations, endings and new beginnings. It also brings with it many expectations and with this, many find the Silly Season quite challenging.

It doesn’t matter if you’re religious or not, the end of one year and the beginning of the next often invites reflection. What have I achieved this year? Did I live up to my own expectations? What will I do differently next year? What do I even want from the new year?

Expectations around being social can challenge people too. Some people love an end of year party, a bbq, an opportunity to get together with others in a less formal environment. Others find this challenging and know putting themselves out there socially will take a bit of energy, physical and emotional. And then there are those who have one foot in both camps, they enjoy being social, but the number of social events can leave them drained and craving time alone.

Then there’s the family gatherings. Whilst for the majority, spending time with family brings joy, closeness and connection, we all know there’s no one better than our families to trigger us. We may find we fall into family roles that perhaps aren’t the ones we want to continue to play.

All of this points to the importance of practicing self-care. If you need to say ‘No’ to some social occasions, that’s ok. Say ‘No’. If you want to get out there and have fun, do that, but make sure you have time to sleep, to have days where you eat well and that you can just be. If you benefit from exercise, find a way to fit this in. Maybe enjoy a walking catch up, instead of meeting for coffee or lunch.

Try and be aware of your triggers so that you can be less reactive. Viktor Frankl tells us that there is space between stimulus and response. It’s in this space that we can choose how we respond. While much easier said than done, if we can tap into this, Frankl tells us this is our opportunity for growth and freedom. So, take a breath and allow yourself the space to choose how you respond to triggers at a time of year that will trigger many.

If you do find the silly season difficult, seek support. You don’t have to go it alone and do remember, you won’t be alone in finding this time of year challenging. Many do!

If you’re wondering what you want for the new year, think about the goal behind the goal. That is, not just what you want, but why you want it? What will it do for you? How will it benefit you? What will it allow you to let go of? Understanding the goal behind the goal allows you to tap into deeper motivations that may allow you to more easily realise your New Year’s Resolutions. But that’s a whole other Blog post, so stay tuned.

If you would like some support to start 2016 on track, call Laurenne on 0413 776 564 for a confidential chat about where you’re at now and where you’d like to be. She can support you to implement the plans, actions and mindset necessary to set you up for a year of personal growth, sustainable life change and enhanced wellbeing.

Enjoy the last weeks of 2016 and take the space you need to breathe!

Have a wonderful day.