Three ways (3-holiday stress busters) to stay true to you this holiday season addresses ways to stay tuned in to yourself and rethink the holiday season beyond the hustle and bustle, shopping, and exhausting perfection.
The Holiday Dilemma: Stress or Joy?
How many of you genuinely look forward to the holidays? Be honest. Are they a source of excitement or anxiety? Many people claim to love the holiday season, but often they’re just saying what they think others want to hear. Some get caught in an exhausting cycle of perfection – comparing themselves to neighbors, competing with friends, or trying to outdo last year’s celebrations. Sound familiar?Reframing the Holiday Narrative
What if we reimagined the holidays differently? Consider this: These celebrations emerge during the darkest winter months for a profound reason. They’re not just about shopping, decorations, or creating picture-perfect moments. Instead, they’re an invitation to something deeper.3 Ways to Reclaim Your Holiday Spirit
1. Embrace Authentic Reflection
The holidays can be a powerful time for introspection. Instead of getting lost in external expectations, take moments to:- Pause and appreciate your journey
- Recognize your personal growth
- Practice genuine gratitude and be grateful for who you are
2. Prioritize Self-Care
Your well-being matters more than perfect Pinterest-worthy celebrations. Try:- Setting healthy boundaries
- Saying “no” to overwhelming commitments
- Creating space for rest and rejuvenation
3. Reconnect with Your Inner Child
Remember the pure joy and wonder of childhood holidays? Recapture that by:- Playing spontaneously
- Letting go of perfectionism
- Experiencing moments with genuine excitement
The Deeper Purpose
These winter celebrations inspire and bring light to dark days. They prompt us to:- Reflect on our blessings
- Maintain faith in future possibilities
- Reconnect with our authentic selves
- Rediscover the magic of simple moments
The Curious Timing of Festivities
Have you ever stopped to ponder why so many spiritual and religious celebrations cluster around the fall and winter months in Western countries? It’s a fascinating paradox, isn’t it? Just as the world outside grows darker and colder, our calendars light up with holiday festivities!Nature’s Rhythm and Human Spirit
As the sun plays hide-and-seek, leaving us with longer nights and shorter days, you might think we’d all hibernate like bears. Some folks even battle the winter blues. Yet, surprisingly, this is when our cultural and spiritual celebrations kick into high gear!
November: Gratitude
- U.S. Thanksgiving takes center stage
- Harvest festivals pop up everywhere, giving a nod to Mother Nature’s bounty
December: A Spiritual Smorgasbord
- Kwanzaa brings African heritage to life
- Christmas trees and carols fill the air
- Hanukkah’s candles flicker with ancient stories
- Noche Buena spices up the season with Latin flair
January: A Global Fresh Start
- The world unites to welcome the New Year with hope and resolutions
The Hidden Purpose: Finding Your Inner Glow
Could it be that these celebrations serve a deeper purpose? They invite us to pause, look inward, and discover the light within ourselves. It’s like we’re all carrying little lanterns inside, waiting to be lit!A Call to Inner Reflection
In times when the world outside seems chaotic or gloomy, these holidays remind us to:- Dig deep and find our inner joy
- Cultivate peace within ourselves
- Spread harmony to those around us
Gratitude: The Ultimate Mood-Booster
Even when life throws curveballs, these celebrations encourage us to count our blessings. It’s about recognizing the good stuff, no matter how small. After all, gratitude is like a flashlight in a dark room – it helps you see all the wonderful things you might have missed!
Your Personal Light Show
So, as the nights grow longer, why not use this time to connect with your own divine spark? It’s like having your own personal fireworks display, right inside your heart. Now that’s something worth celebrating!“All phenomena — including bad weather — contribute to our experience of life. Don’t discriminate. Enjoy the adventure.”
Practicing Spirituality
3 Ways To Stay True to You During the Holidays
1. Using an Advent Calendar To Stay True to You: A 5-minute Morning Routine
Reimagining Advent for Personal Growth
Ever thought about giving the traditional Advent calendar a spiritual makeover? Let’s dive into this fun and transformative idea!Advent, from the Latin “adventus” meaning “arrival” or “coming,” traditionally celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. But hold on! Even if you’re not religious, there’s a beautiful opportunity here for anyone on a spiritual journey.
Your Personal Spiritual Countdown
Why not create your own Advent-inspired calendar to kickstart or deepen your journey towards Christ Consciousness? It’s the perfect time of year to begin this practice. Plus, during the holiday hustle and bustle, these daily readings can be your anchor, reminding you of what truly matters – seeing love in everything around you. A few ways to create your 5-minute morning routine:- Choose Your Spiritual Guide: Visit a bookstore or browse online for a book that speaks to your soul. The key is finding bite-sized wisdom you can digest daily.
- Set the Scene: Create a cozy, quiet spot for your morning ritual.
- Commit to 5 Minutes: That’s all it takes! Wake up a smidge earlier if needed.
- Read and Reflect: Each morning, open your chosen book to the day’s passage.
- Carry the Message: Let the day’s wisdom guide you through your holiday activities.
Book Suggestions to Ignite Your Spirit
- “A Course in Miracles,” by Helen Schucman
- “A Year Of Miracles, a Daily Devotion, author Marianne Williamson.
- “Unpack Your Personality” by Moi
2. The Intention Behind the Reason for the Season
It begins by questioning your holiday motivations. Ask yourself, are you genuinely excited about your holiday plans, or are you just going through the motions to make everyone else happy? Take the joy litmus test and ask yourself these powerful questions:
- Am I doing this because I want to?
- Does this activity bring me genuine joy?
- Or am I just trying to meet someone else’s expectations?
Breaking Free from Holiday Expectations: Example The Holiday Meal Makeover
Sound familiar? You’ve been killing yourself preparing a massive ten-course holiday feast. But what if you said, “Nope, not this year!” A new way:
- Serve only a few family-favorite dishes
- Explain your intention clearly
- Potential reasons might include:
- Reducing food waste
- Promoting healthier eating
- Creating more quality time with loved ones
Craft Your Holiday Intentions:
- Grab a journal
- Write down your true holiday desires
- Be brutally honest with yourself
- Share these intentions with family and friends
Subscribe to Art of Compassionate Communication: A few helpful tips
- Be firm about your boundaries
- Listen to others’ intentions
- Find a middle ground that respects everyone’s needs
- Remember: It’s about connection, not perfection
Your Holiday, Your Rules
The magic happens when you align your actions with your authentic self. This season isn’t about exhausting yourself—it’s about creating meaningful moments that truly matter to you.
Skip the food coma. Ditch the unnecessary stress. Embrace the joy of intentional celebration.Your holiday, your rules. Own it! 🎄✨
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.
Thích Nhất Hạnh
3. Ways To Remain True to You This Holiday Season
As we jump into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let’s slow down and remember the holidays are a reflection of your inner consciousness. So if we get triggered, frustrated, and angry, it’s time to stop and take a look at the trigger that is surfacing. Explore it, feel it and heal it – a blog post that may help you understand further what’s triggering you. Triggers are usually a cognitive function that is unhealthy. To make it simple: a cognitive function is how you acquire and process information.
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Negative Vibes!
1. Sidestep Gossip
When gossip starts swirling, don’t join in! Instead, share a personal story about how hurtful gossip impacted you and how it inspired you to focus on positive stories. If the chatter continues, it’s perfectly okay to walk away.
2. Handle Rudeness with Grace
If a family member is being rude, politely excuse yourself from the conversation. If they try to corner you again, compliment something about the event, then gracefully exit the chat.
3. Stand Firm Against Criticism
When someone tries to put you down or belittle you under the guise of “looking out for your best interest,” stay strong. Remember, this behavior often reflects their own insecurities. Don’t let their words define you!
Bonus Tip: Take a Break
If you’re an introvert and all this negativity feels overwhelming, give yourself permission to take a time out. Your well-being comes first!
“Belonging so fully to yourself that you’re willing to stand alone is a wilderness—an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. The wilderness can often feel unholy because we can’t control it, or what people think about our choice of whether to venture into that vastness or not. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.”
Brené Brown author, Braving The Wildnerness
Want to Stay True to You? Reread These Blog Posts for a Mental Pick-Me-Up!
Before you head out to your next holiday party, take a moment to revisit our blog posts about embracing your truth as an extrovert or introvert. These articles are designed to inspire inner peace, flow, and harmony in your life—helping you avoid the pitfalls of conflict, people-pleasing, and the pressure to be perfect.Once you experience the freedom of knowing your True Self, all those little worries fade away.
Must-Read Blog Posts:
- For Extroverts: Extroverts: How to Be Authentic
- For Introverts: Introverts: How to Be Authentic
Clarity Session
You know what they say: “necessity is the mother of invention — reinvention.” After years on the psychiatrist’s couch, countless masterclasses, and working with various coaches, I still felt like something was off. I was struggling—lost without my voice, my vision, and any clear solution in sight.
Then came my life tsunami. It was through embracing spirit-driven teachings and the psychological tools of Dr. Nix, Ph.D., that I uncovered my true calling: Spiritual Personality Typing (SPT). This emerging typology is a roadmap to your authentic self, bridging your soul (higher consciousness) with your personality (the soul in action). It’s perfect for business who desire to successfully weather these transformative times.
I offer bespoke 1:1 clarity sessions that just may be what you need to stop merely living your life and start creating the life of your dreams!”
Working with Nina helped me remove the blind spots that were holding me back”, Judith Wilms, TedX, Author. A bespoke clarity session maybe just what you need to stop living your life and instead create the life of your dreams!
Book: Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide
New here? Curious about travel personality typing? My debut book, Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide, is your gateway to discovering your true self through travel. This book serves as the ultimate toolkit, introducing an exciting personality framework rooted in spirituality.
Inside, you’ll uncover how the joys of travel provide the perfect playground for self-awareness, complete with reflective questions that guide you on your journey. Explore top destinations for adventure, relaxation, and inspiration, along with practical tips for leveraging your personality preferences to create more fulfilling getaways. By harmonizing the insights of your personality with your inner guide (your higher self), you can elevate your travel experiences, embracing both worldly wonders and divine transcendence.
For me, travel has become a powerful way to embody my true self, whether I’m exploring distant lands or my own backyard. Ready to embark on this journey?
Grab your copy here.
Step Into The Pages of the Book with Moi! Schedule a personalized 1:1 power hour where we explore your travel personality in detail.
Welcome, Friends… It’s Time for a New Life!
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The world needs YOU—not some version of you.
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About
Nina Zapala is the founder of the Soul’s Role in Personality Typing. She offers an emerging and mystical approach to personality typing, ideally suited for these evolving times. By integrating the soul’s role into personality typing, I provide women with a personalized roadmap to fully embody their true selves. This spiritual typology unveils a pioneering perspective, helping women not only understand and embrace their outer persona, but also connect with their deeper essence—identifying their soul’s true purpose. It’s a profound shift that empowers women to align with their highest potential and live with purpose. This isn’t just insight; it’s a life-changing journey.
The names of the Myers-Briggs Personality Types come from my new personality paradigm, The Soul’s Role in Personality Typing, and you can explore them further in my debut book, Unpack Your Personality: Let Your Inner Guide Be Your Travel Guide.
Photo By – Photo by Vlad Chețan:
UPDATED: 2024
