Do Holidays Amp You Up?
Do you deal through drama this time of the year?
Do you find yourself rolling your eyes, clasping your hands to your head as you settle in to a salacious gab with friends and colleagues about all of the stresses and strains during the holidays? The family drama, the shopping drama, the right outfit drama, the perfect meal drama, the ‘somuchtodosolittletime’ drama?
Drama Feeds Adrenal Stress!
What do you suppose all that drama does for your adrenal glands? Are you aware that adrenal stress is a reality for more than 65% of the world’s population? How’s that for pandemic?
Do you know how important the adrenal glands are for supporting your health and vitality?
In the Holistic Anatomy & Physiology Course I offer practitioners, the stressed out adrenal glands are described this way:
In the mechanical model, [the non-holistic view of Anatomy and Physiology, taught in medical schools, and forming the basis of Allopathic treatment], these little guys get blamed for fatigue, as in “I have adrenal fatigue,” as if they were machines that broke down on their own.
Their fatigue is your fatigue, caused by a life of stress, over-stimulation, over-activity, bad diet and a general emphasis on doing (yang) coupled with a disdain for rest (yin).
Drama as Food Group
Drama feeds more than adrenal stress. It feeds emotional stress too. Anxiety, fear, depression – whatever your go-to emotions are – drama feeds them.
Ever Done a Drama-Fast?
Contemplating a Drama-Fast calms my body and emotions.
What might a Drama-Fast look like? It’s a cleanse from Amping Up, Overdoing, Overstimulating, Over-emotionalizing?
Perhaps:
Setting a spending budget and sticking to it, buying things that are special and memorable rather than lots of ‘things’ with little meaning?
Good for your wallet and your emotions
Shopping online with your budget in mind, avoiding the retail frenzy.
Better use of time – can be combined with other restful, yin activities
Shopping locally, supporting small business, buying from artists and craftsmen rather than mass-produced stuff.
Buying local, supporting those in your community creates a dual win – for the person who creates and the one who receives – holistic and affirming
Holding your tongue, avoiding gossip, developing clear approaches for minimizing familial conflict. It’s ok to say, ‘Fred, we’ve had this discussion before and it’s not productive for either of us. I’m going to focus on enjoying the day and bypass this topic with you’.
Refusing to join in drama-laden interactions models self-awareness and conscious choice
Monitoring your thoughts to avoid projection, perseveration, obsession, reaction. Acknowledging that what you’re thinking and worrying about isn’t happening right here, right now. Therefore it’s a waste of time and energy.
Presence, self-discipline, self-soothing
Sit quietly, listen to meditative music. Meditate. Clear energy.
Self-care is a drama buster
Wearing a dress or outfit you already own. Accessorizing it differently so you feel like it’s new to you. (Because few people care or remember what you’ve worn before. Truly. And if they do, they’re Drama-Festers and you know better!)
Loving what you have is so healing and freeing
Setting aside time to be rather than do. Is there a book you’ve wanted to read? Read it. A Tai Chi class you’ve wanted to take? Take it. A trail you’ve wanted to hike? Walk it. Be. In your book. In your body. In nature.
Nurture, self-love, self-care, yin, feeding your spirit
Light a candle on the Solstice. Honor the return to the light.
From darkness comes light – beautiful and fulfilling to observe and honor
Contribute to a cause that you care about in honor of those with whom you’ve disagreed. It couples the generosity of your spirit with acknowledgement and gratitude for the teacher those disagreeing/disagreeable people are to you. They’re serving your growth and evolution.
Opens a space in your heart, psyche and energy for a more neutral way of engaging conflict, inviting growth and evolution
Stay home. Consider which events and activities might drain you and which might feed you. Choose you. Feed you.
Love and compassion begin with yourself – choosing you is the highest form of self-respect and self-care
Whatever your choices and experiences this holiday season, choose consciously. Be present. Consider a drama-fast as a gift of nurture and self-care.
And keep your vital energy flowing!
