Holiday Harmony Starts Within

Self-awareness is the ability to notice and understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as they happen. It’s recognizing what you’re feeling, why you’re feeling it, and how those feelings influence your choices.  It becomes especially important during the holiday season, when stress, social pressures, and emotional triggers are more common.

Here are some of the ways practicing self-awareness can help to keep you grounded through the busyness, expectations and emotional intensity of the holiday season:

• Recognize Triggers: Holidays can stir up emotions, family conflict, grief, and financial strain. Self-awareness helps you notice and acknowledge these feelings before they escalate

• Manage Stress: Knowing your limits allows you to set boundaries, make space for yourself, and choose activities that support your well-being.

• Mindful Choices: Awareness of your emotional state helps you make healthier decisions around food, spending, and social interactions.

• Improve Relationships: Understanding your reactions allows you to communicate calmly and empathetically with others.

• Sustain Balance: Self-awareness helps you align your actions with your values, creating a more grounded and meaningful holiday experience.

  
  

Building Self-Awareness

Set aside three intentional pauses daily to ask yourself the following, be sure to write down your answers:

• What am I feeling in my body right now?

• What emotion is attached to that sensation?

• What thought just went through my mind? 

  
  

Record your responses without expectation or judgement, just observation.  Over time, patterns in your thoughts and behaviors that were once hidden will start to appear.  Noticing these patterns is the first step toward intentional change and greater self-awareness.