Comments on: Guard Your Joy and Peace this Holiday!

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:32:04 +0000

The season certainly means spending time with my family. And by the looks of the dust on the TV and the dirt on the floors, we’re doing a great job prioritizing.

We’re busy baking, playing in the backyard, building forts, attending Christmas events…

By: Christy

Christy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:10:52 +0000

this is great Amanda… funny that I was debating whether or not to write about how family issues can ruin a holiday last week! LOL

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:56:41 +0000

I have claustrophobia and Adult ADHD. On their own on a normal day, each is quite manageable. However when it’s the holidays and the entire family is (cramped) together in someone’s house, it exasperates both at the same time, and has caused many “unfortunate” holiday incidents throughout the years.

My tip to survive the holidays with joy? Be honest with yourself regarding your own weaknesses and hot buttons. (After all, nobody knows how to exploit your weaknesses better, or push your buttons more easily, than family!)

I pray you don’t have anything like ADHD, but you’re human, so you do have some areas that probably are magnified at these times of year. Be honest about what they are, and predetermine a plan for coping with them.

In my case, I try my best to “escape” to another room when I’m feeling too closed in, or even “volunteer” to run the errand or anything to get out of the house when needed. And when my adult ADHD makes me get irritable because of all the stimulus and break from the norm that comes from holiday gatherings, I’ve been working my best on coping strategies. (I need to get my wife more involved in this, to help me recognize it sooner.) Fortunately, the same strategies for coping with my claustrophobia often work for my ADHD.

Hopefully this isn’t TMI… I just wanted to share my perspective on the blog post. Thanks!

By: The Mom Crowd » Family Overload

The Mom Crowd » Family Overload — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:08:30 +0000

[...] gave some good tips on guarding your joy this season. My number one joy stealer during the Christmas season is family overload. Like many people, I [...]

By: Heidi

Heidi — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:54:26 +0000

My joy stealer is this crazy weather we are experiencing in the NW. A 30 min. car ride in the Seattle area took us 3.5 hours. Plans to visit my parents in Idaho had to be cancelled due to all the ice and snow, resulting in shutting down major freeways and flights. Currently we are trapped in my in-laws house in Portland, OR due to several feet of snow….which happens to be the worst snow storm recorded in 40 years. This sucks and is my joy stealer this season. My husband and I decided we will never travel back to the NW to visit family during the winter season.