From Holiday Chaos to Calm: Building Resilience for 2025 and Beyond 

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Lessen Holiday Stress with Simple Practices 

I have spent many years developing everything I can think of to lessen the stress in my life. I spend time during the year re-reading some of my scripts that name specific things I can do to deal with stress. The Holidays do bring stress for families, since many are facing the fact that they voted differently from some of their family members. They also know it is impossible to talk with them about politics. In my last podcast I gave you some ways to set boundaries that will allow you to be very clear with your family members what you will accept and what you will not accept. 

In this podcast, I am going to give you lots of suggestions on what you can do for yourself, and the actions I am suggesting can help you with the rest of the holidays and practice them in 2025. There is no question in my mind that we will need these suggestions, since chaos is what Trump enjoys. It brings him attention, and it often gets him what he wants. Chaos is not one of my favorite things to experience; however, I start each day determined to do what I can to advance people in their personal and professional lives. I am committed daily to deal with what comes my way or affects someone I love or care about. I am making a commitment to take my suggestions and read them at least twice a week so I will remember that I am the one responsible for managing my own life. This podcast is to help you do the same. 

Processing Election Results and Moving Forward 

The recent election has left many of us grappling with strong emotions. Alice Park’s article from Time Magazine offers valuable advice: manage the storm of feelings by expressing them constructively and avoiding the trap of “what ifs…” Her article is entitled “How to Cope if the Election Didn’t Go Your Way” published originally on January 1, 1970, 12:00 AM [ET] updated on November 5, 2024, 3:42 PM EST. I want to start with her beginning comments: 

“Every presidential election is consequential, and therefore potentially stressful, but this contest seems to carry added wight. In a recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, 77% of the people surveyed said that the future of the country was a significant source of stress, and 56% said they feared that the election results would spell the end of democracy in the U.S. 

She emphasizes manage the storm of emotions by processing through those feelings and talking to people that you can trust. Don’t get lost in “what if’s.” This means spending time saying, “what if_______________ had happened.” The blank can be filled with many things and will spin you into obsessing about the “what if’s.” I suggest to clients of mine that have trouble stopping “What if’s” to write all of them down, read them over, and shed them.  

Another thing you can depend on is your past experiences. A way to put things in perspective is to remember your experiences with challenging time, and you found ways to deal with them. You can look back on the past elections. How did you feel in 2016 or 2020 where the results were not what you wanted. I often remind myself that elections come and go. Elections come in cycles; the results do have an impact; however, a single office or person has a limited amount of time.  

Practical Strategies for a Peaceful Holiday Season 

In an updated checklist from a previous article, I’ve included habits that have consistently helped me. From planning your mornings, the night before to maintaining healthy boundaries with family, these tips ensure a smoother, less stressful holiday and different experiences in 2025. “Managing Stress Through the Holidays” was number 85 in a series that was published on LinkedIn. I updated this article on December 23, 2024, for my script for my podcast that was published on December 26, 2024. (You will have the reference in the list I provide at the end of the podcast).  

I like this article since it gives you a checklist you can go through to see how you are doing daily, or you can check it when you are upset or concerned about something. You might find it interesting to see what you did on Thanksgiving day or Christmas Day. Maybe you did many on the list or you had some difficulty so you can start using these suggestions today and carry them into 2025. I find them helpful to do anytime of the year.  

  1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. You may need the time to deal with the inevitable, unpredictable morning mishaps. 
  1. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Decide on what you will have for breakfast, and have it ready, and put out the clothes you plan to wear. 
  1. Write down things you need to do such as picking up your cleaning or laundry and review your schedule so you will know what you will be doing during the next day. 
  1. Eliminate any kind of behavior that creates stress such as telling an exaggerated story that will lead you to having to remember what you said, since it was not true.  
  1. State to family members that you will not keep secrets that need to be addressed and understand that not having to cover up something is much easier than simply being truthful. 
  1. Make a set of duplicate keys. Put a house key in a secret place in your garden or in a box attached to someplace. Make a duplicate car key and put it in your wallet/purse, which is separate from your key ring. 
  1. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down or fall apart “at the worst possible moment.” Take care of oven maintenance or other kitchen appliances. If your alarm clock, wallet, shoelaces, windshield wipers (or whatever are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones. 
  1. Eliminate or restrict the amount of caffeine, sugar, and other foods you know traditionally causes you digestive problems. If you overeat, it is not fun to wake up the next day feeling lousy. Celebrate your holidays with healthy consideration of yourself. 
  1. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today. The ideas is to stay more in the moment each day and you will be surprised what happens to your days. 
  1. Plan ahead. Keep your gas tank half or three quarters full. Keep a well-stocked “emergency shelf” of home staples, stamps, or bus tokens if you are riding the bus, to prevent being in a long line. 
  1. Allow 15 minutes extra time to get to the appointments. Plan to arrive at the location 10 minutes early, and that will give you time to get yourself present for the meeting. If all your work is on Zoom, then consider being 5 minutes early on the Zoom call. 
  1. Be prepared to wait. Have a paperback book with you or your phone charged so waiting in line will be amazingly easy. 

What other things would you add to this list? Take the time to write them down. If you don’t take care of yourself then you are going to do things during the holidays and next year you will not have the experiences that are most meaningful for you. 

Tools to Sustain Peace Throughout 2025″ 
The techniques we cultivate during the holidays don’t have to end when the calendar turns. Planning ahead, practicing deep breathing, and setting realistic expectations are tools that can make the new year less chaotic. My second article I want to share with you I first published on LinkedIn on December 10, 2020, was entitled, “More Practical Suggestions to Handle Unforeseen Situations During the Holidays” was number 86 in a series. I updated this podcast for my script on December 23, 2024, and then the podcast was published on December 26, 2024.  

Sometimes we need to take actions that put us in a calm physical state of being or encourage us to disconnect from holidays or from an unpleasant situation that may occur next year. Here are the actions I take to put me in a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual state that I can face almost anything.  

  1. Disconnect from your phone. Take a long hot bath, meditate, or read a book that is fun without interruption. See if you are a person that experiences withdrawal if you have to turn off your phone for a day or weekend. Is that difficult for you? What thoughts come to mind if you disconnect from your phone? 
  1. During the holidays there are lots of gatherings. I have a client who cannot stand to have other people contribute to the holiday dinner or gathering. She works herself to death then is tired and has a hard time enjoying the very dinner she created. She has been doing this for years. If you are like this person, first start learning how to ask for help. 
  1. Holidays bring more errands and things to get done. It is easier to plan daily tasks to be accomplished, and use a checklist. This helps to keep us organized. I make my checklist at the end of the day for the next day, since I have a good idea of what I plan to do tomorrow. I sleep better, since my mind does not have to remind me half the night of what I need to do.  
  1. Deep breathing is such a straightforward way of calming down. Talking deep breaths can be done anywhere, and then breathing through the nose and letting go through the exhaling is helpful. Deep breathing redistributes energy, lowers tension, and helps us to relax.  
  1. Feelings bottled up leads to the person exploding. An analogy that I want you to consider is do you use your body like it is a coke bottle. If you put the cap on the coke bottle, let no air out, and then shake the bottle, when the top comes off the coke will spray all over you. That is what happens with pent up feelings. I encourage you to recognize your feelings, pause to consider what you are feeling, and consider how you are going to express those feelings. If you have a series of experiences that lead to anger, sadness, frustration, or tension this can lead to an emotional explosion or implosion (imploding within yourself). Feelings need to be dealt with expressed, or constructively channeled at the time. 
  1. Each of us are challenged to handle our stress, reach places on time, meet deadlines, buy and wrap gifts with enjoyment. I found beginning my day with prayer, meditation, and imagery I enter more focused, centered, and clear. Each of these activities help me to be on time, and not have to rush to get somewhere or to get something done.  
  1. There are years where I experienced a financial shortfall that affected my gift-giving. Acknowledging that has happened is much easier then hiding it, and I find talking with my friends and family is helpful to have reasonable gift giving that leads to a positive solution.  
  1. Exercise is a wonderful way to reduce stress. Exercise can generate extra energy when needed. It can burn off extra calories. It can be a fun experience when I am watching one of my favorite shows on TV.  
  1.  Ordering online saves time, and we can still get what we want. We can shop, order, and inquire about merchandise. I have friends that over the years have had COVID, the flu or other illnesses that could not go out to businesses. They could order online and have it delivered. 
  1.  Give up Super Person (Any gender can participate in overdoing to attempt to please everyone). Consider what traditional roles you have been playing year after year for the holidays, and see how you can divide up the responsibilities for having a meaningful holiday. We are all entitled to have support from others to help with the chores that come with holiday gatherings.  
  1. Planning, preparing and anti-procrastination programming are the best of stress prevention possibilities. 

Making Your Well-Being a Priority” 
From regular exercise to acknowledging financial limitations, taking care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual health is the best gift you can give yourself. These habits will serve you well far beyond the holiday season. I am asking you to do is find my script for this podcast at www.dtpleadership.com. Go to the top of the first page and tap on to blogs. I have a section for podcast blogs, which is my script. Make a copy for yourself of these two list, and see how they can help you throughout the rest of the holidays and in 2025. 

Conclusion 

As we navigate the emotional, logistical, and financial challenges of the holidays, let’s remember that self-care is not selfish, it’s essential. The strategies shared here are not just for surviving this season but for thriving in the year ahead. By setting boundaries, embracing support, and making thoughtful choices, you can transform chaos into calm and bring focus to your personal and professional goals in 2025. Commit to practicing these habits consistently, and you’ll find that each day becomes an opportunity to create the peace and clarity you deserve. 

References for Podcast 112:

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