– Etty Hillesum, Dutch Writer Maybe. No other time of year is fueled with such an intense mix of emotions: joy, gratitude, excitement, grief, sadness, anger, annoyance, irritation, envy… the list goes on. The truth is that for most of us, no matter how we choose to celebrate the holidays, it can be a stressful time full of unrealistic expectations, financial pressure, and family obligations:
the pressure of finding the perfect holiday gifts braving the last minute rush at the malls and department stores thanks to socially expected gift-giving family get togethers that send us off into an emotional tailspin trying to avoid a confrontation with that family member or your in-laws credit card debt increasing holiday depression and anxiety seasonal affective disorder (SAD) holiday parties and social events we don’t really feel like attending the pain of missing the loved ones that have gone the stress of another year ending and us feeling like we haven’t accomplished what we wanted to feeling pressure to host the perfect Martha Stewart approved Christmas dinner the frustration of realizing you didn’t keep last year’s New Year resolutions… again...