Holiday Stress? Tackle Triggers with This One Simple Tool
Nov 18, 2024
The holidays are here, and while this season can bring joy and connection, it often comes with a side of stress. From family dynamics and financial pressures to the crush of year-end work deadlines, this time of year can leave us feeling overwhelmed. These stressors, or triggers, affect us both personally and professionally. The good news? You don’t have to let them control you.
In this week’s Gentle Mindful Moment, I’ll share a simple yet powerful tool to manage holiday and year-end stress: Pause and Breathe. Plus, I’ll introduce you to my Pathway to Inner Peace™, a transformative coaching program featuring the 4R Method, which helps you release stress, rewire your mindset, and radiate calm no matter what life throws your way.
Ready to approach this holiday season with clarity and grace? Let’s dive in.
What Are Triggers?
A trigger is anything that sparks an emotional reaction. Triggers often stem from past experiences or unresolved stress and can be amplified during the holidays. Common examples include:
- A family member’s comment that pushes your buttons.
- A looming deadline that feels impossible to meet.
- The weight of trying to make everything “perfect.”
Triggers are a normal part of life, but they don’t have to dictate your emotions or actions. By recognizing them and responding thoughtfully, you can take back control.
Why the Holidays Are Extra Triggering
The holiday season combines personal and professional stressors into a perfect storm:
- Work Pressures: Year-end deadlines and planning for the upcoming year can feel relentless.
- Family Dynamics: Gatherings often resurface unresolved tensions or old patterns.
- Financial Stress: Gift-giving and travel costs can add pressure.
These heightened stressors often activate the brain’s amygdala, triggering the fight-or-flight response. When this happens, it’s easy to feel reactive and emotionally drained. But with mindfulness, you can quiet the noise and navigate challenges with ease.
A Simple Tool: The Pause and Breathe Technique
Here’s a tool you can use anytime to diffuse stress: Pause and Breathe.
- Recognize the Trigger: Identify what’s causing your stress. For example, you might say, “I’m feeling overwhelmed because my boss just assigned me another project.”
- Pause: Hit the mental pause button. Take a moment to step away, if possible, to create space between you and the stressor.
- Breathe: Take five slow, deep breaths. Use this rhythm: inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for six. Extending the exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling your body to relax. This approach is similar to box breathing, but the longer exhale amplifies its calming effect.
- Reframe: Once you feel centered, ask yourself, “What’s the best way to respond?” Instead of reacting impulsively, choose an intentional action that aligns with your values.
This simple practice helps you shift from survival mode to a place of calm and clarity.
A Deeper Solution: The Pathway to Inner Peace™ Featuring the 4R Method
While the Pause and Breathe technique is a great first step, lasting transformation requires deeper work. That’s where my Pathway to Inner Peace™ comes in—a one-on-one coaching program that has empowered professionals and leaders for over 19 years.
At the heart of this program is the 4R Method:
- Recognize: Develop deep self-awareness to identify emotional patterns and triggers. Awareness is the first step toward meaningful change.
- Release: Let go of what no longer serves you—whether it’s old habits, limiting beliefs, or reactive patterns. Practice self-compassion and learn tools like the law of detachment to navigate these shifts.
- Rewire: Replace old patterns with new, empowering ones. Through repetition and mindfulness, create neural pathways that foster clarity, calm, and resilience.
- Radiate: Reflect your inner transformation in your outer world. Live authentically, lead with purpose, and inspire those around you.
Personalized Guided Meditation Recordings: A Game-Changer
A key feature of the Pathway to Inner Peace™ program is the inclusion of customized guided meditation recordings. These recordings are tailored specifically to your needs, using researched and proven techniques that activate the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain, to quiet the amygdala, the fight-or-flight center.
This brain shift is critical to reducing stress and fostering emotional balance. These personalized meditations help you rewire your mind for calm and clarity, making them a cornerstone of the program’s proven success.
Here’s what Ann T. had to say about her experience:
"I’ve used the Headspace app provided by my company, but Nancy’s personalized recordings were a game-changer. Her calming voice and the tailored content helped me anchor in the techniques we discussed during our coaching sessions. I didn’t have to worry about taking notes—I could simply listen and practice. These recordings have been far more effective for me than any app."
The Ripple Effect: Mindfulness in the Workplace
As a business leader, consider how holiday and year-end stress impacts your team. Triggers in the workplace can lead to burnout, reduced productivity, and lower morale.
My corporate mindfulness programs are designed to:
- Teach employees actionable tools like the Pause and Breathe technique.
- Cultivate resilience and emotional intelligence.
- Improve workplace culture and communication.
Mindful leadership creates a ripple effect, boosting team morale and organizational success. Investing in employee well-being isn’t just a thoughtful gesture—it’s a strategic advantage.
Let’s Work Together
Feeling inspired but unsure where to start? Whether you’re seeking personal coaching or corporate programs, I’d love to guide you on this journey. My personalized coaching sessions and dynamic presentations are designed to help you:
- Manage stress and triggers with proven tools.
- Rewire your mind for clarity and resilience.
- Radiate calm and confidence in all areas of your life.
Take the first step today—schedule a call with me here to explore your goals and how we can work together. Together, we can create a life you design, not one of default.
Conclusion
Triggers are inevitable, but they don’t have to derail your peace of mind. With tools like Pause and Breathe and the transformative Pathway to Inner Peace™, you can navigate the holiday season—and beyond—with confidence and grace.
This year, give yourself the gift of mindfulness. And if you’re ready to take your growth to the next level, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
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