How to avoid Holiday Burnout & Blues
The holidays are around the corner and while it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be a time of added stress, conflict and – in the case of us expats – nostalgia, which makes us feel quite touchy and sensitive.
This episode is a little different, as I’m sharing my personal toolbox for navigating stressful times that bear conflict- and “burnout” potential!
Especially as an expat mom a great deal of the burden lies on us so it’s important to be prepared. After all, we all long for that holly jolly holiday time with our loves ones and feel bad when things don’t go as planned or when we can’t be at our best.
The answer?
D stands for Delegate
I know, I know. We all dream of the perfect holidays and would love to do it all:
Decorate the home beautifully, cook and bake the perfect Christmas menu, spend quality time with all our family members, always be in a good mood… (and look great and fresh all the time)! 🙂
But the truth is: life happens and gets in the way of our ambitious plans. Real life does not look like an influencer’s Instagram feed and as expat women and moms we know it can get messy!
So before the holidays start I want you to think about: What tasks can you delegate and outsource throughout the holidays? How? To whom?
And if you’re not sure, think about what tasks will take a lot of time and effort at the cost of your holiday spirit? And who could help you out with those?
A stands for Anticipate
Having too high expectations is often at the root of burning ourselves out, creating conflict with our loved ones and ending up disappointed.
So how can you set more realistic expectations and avoid stress and conflict?
By trying to anticipate what could mess up our holiday spirit, we can mentally prepare, plan to avoid these situations from happening or deal with them in a better way.
In Episode 2 – Finding your Inner Happy Place with Rachael Lynn – we talk about setting realistic expectations and creating an inner balance and wellbeing.
M stands for Micro-Moments of Self-Care
I came up with this concept back in March / April of 2020 when we had the hardcore lockdown here in Spain; the schools had closed but we weren’t allowed to leave the house. So between the kids, work and the home I was just swamped.
Everyone was talking about practicing self-care, but in really busy times this can actually sound more like another thing on your to-do list!
Of course, you can’t pour from an empty cup and over-giving and over-stepping your own boundaries will only lead to depletion and resentment.
Enter: Micro-Moments of Self-Care. They will literally just take a few minutes of your time and will grant you some relief, peace of mind, nurturing, unwinding and re-energizing.
In this episodes I share several strategies that will be a total game-changer for you!
>>> Watch a short, 5-minute video I recorded about my favourite micro-moment of self-care here <<<
N stands for Navigate
I want you to see yourself like the captain of your ship. YOU steer the ship into the direction you want it to go. You steer it towards the calm waters and away from the icebergs. You’re in control of your ship.
How is this important?
Firstly, because of everything we mentioned already. A good captain knows what and how to delegate, she anticipates and she can remain calm and centered (thanks to micro-moments of self-care).
But this metaphor can also help you navigate uncomfortable questions and unpleasant conversations with loved ones we sometimes have during the holidays.
>>> Listen to the full episode to learn about the 4 conversation techniques I teach my clients to remain in control of the conversation and navigate uncomfortable and intrusive questions.
I sincerely hope this episode has been of value to you and I wish you a magical holiday season – wherever you’re spending them in the world!
*****
Christmas Gift Ideas for expat / multicultural families:
Some of my followers and Facebook Group Members have created great products for the expat community!
While I have not personally read / purchased them all, it’s my pleasure to compile this list for you:
Books
- ‘At Home Anywhere’ by Rachael Lynn
- ‘This Messy Mobile Life’ by Mariam Ottimofiore
- ‘My Mom Is Not From Here’ by Zulmira Logue
- ‘China Blonde’ by Nicole Webb
- ‘Not Just a Diplomatic Spouse’ by Alexandra Paucescu
Services
- Online Spanish Lessons with Flor García
- A Workshop for Grandparents and their Far-Away-Grandchildren by Nadja Herkner (in German)
Other
- Goodie Bags with ingredients / snacks from back home that are hard to get abroad
- Personalized photo gifts for our families far away (calendars, mugs, card decks, albums etc)
- A subscription to a movie / music streaming provider or audiobook platform, such as Audible
- Decoration items and coffee table books from your / their home country
