4 ways to keep your cool and be happy at Christmas

4 ways to keep your cool and be happy at Christmas. Christmas is a time of excitement and expectations Trees, lights, presents, food. Also a time of difficulty for lots of people who struggle with depression, addiction, loneliness 1 – don’t expect others to be different than they normally are. - Today is our oldest’s birthday - He didn’t get out of bed when I called him for his 5 am swim practice - He threw a tantrum when I tried to get him to complete his chores. - he was demanding of my phone. - He was the same him that he always is. - 2 – don’t expect yourself to be different than you normally are. - I woke up this morning with a pile of things to get done - I did not start doing them until well after 1 pm - By Christmas morning I will get as much done as I can – I might fail - I am not yet the person that I want to be - 3 – be prepared to be disappointed. - You might not get the gift you want - Your kids might not take the picture that you want with the smiles and looking at the camera - Your parents or in-laws will probably still be who they are, so they will probably be exactly the same people they are on other days of the year - Be prepared for someone to say something rude - Recognize that you won’t be able to change anyone this holiday season – despite what you may want 4 – remember that your thoughts are what create your feelings. - Thoughts are the cause of all our emotions. - For me this has always showed up in terms of what people say. - I have observed that for me, when someone says something, it can easily be interpreted differently by me than it is by someone else. - You can take the thoughts that come and use them the way you have - Or you can create deliberate thoughts that serve you better - You have to program those thoughts into your brain and into your life with repetition to build a new neural pathway that is stronger than your old thought - - Here are some thoughts that you may want to try on this holiday so you can feel the way you want to about the time you get to spend with your family o Everything is as it should be o It was meant to happen the way it did o You/he/she is exactly as you/he/she should be o Love is always an option o I’m responsible for everything I think and feel o No one can cause an emotion inside me o People are allowed to behave the way they want o I am enough o Nothing has gone wrong here.