3 things you can do to make your holiday a little easier
3 things you can do to make your holiday a little easier
3 things you can do to make your holiday a little easier
If you follow me on social media, you’ve joined me for the 31 Days of Letting Go Challenge. We’ve been talking a lot about how important it is to let go of habits that may no longer serve you. The habits you adopt can be just as important.
We are entering the holiday season, and as magical as it can be, the holidays can also be a source of stress.
Remember to give yourself and others grace, practice self-compassion and kindness, and try these three habits to make your life just a little bit easier:
1. Ask yourself why
If you celebrate Thanksgiving, it is a great opportunity to share gratitude with the people in your life. It gives both you and the person on the receiving end a boost of happy hormones. When you think of something that brings you joy and gratitude, ask yourself, “Why am I grateful?” This helps you internalize it, which embeds the habit into your brain. This trains you to look for what’s right and offsets your brain’s negativity bias. Make a conscious effort to communicate gratitude to others.
2. Make today easier
Want to make your life easier? Ask yourself this question: What can I do to make today a little easier?
Take something off your to-do list or add something that brings you joy, watch a funny video, call a friend, or take a short nap. There are a million things you can do to make your day and life better. This is one of my favorite ways to bring more joy into my life.
3. Listen to your body
Tap into the power of your nervous system and recognize how you’re feeling. Your body will tell you what to do. Recognize and name your emotions and pay attention to sensations, thoughts, and tension in your body. This brings you back to the present moment and is the basis for mindfulness. Any time you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, breathe deeply. Remember, your feelings and thoughts are not facts. They are just information for your nervous system.
When we are stressed or overwhelmed, we take shallow breaths, and this deprives your brain of the oxygen it needs to think clearly. Reset your nervous system by taking three deep belly breaths, making the exhale longer than the inhale. This stimulates the calming response.
Remember to focus on the delicious moments, celebrate what’s most important, and be kind to yourself. I hope you have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!
Stay brave and resilient,
Anne
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Anne breaks down the daily habits and skills needed to grow and cultivate RESILIENCE.
I had an incredible time chatting with @dr.cindyspeaks on Positively Altered about one of my favorite topics >> resilience!
💪 We covered everything from how stress affects the brain to actionable strategies for resetting your resilience and reclaiming balance. Plus… we even talked donkeys!
🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-23-the-resilience-reset-transforming-stress/id1773804535?i=1000699134975
In this episode, we dive into:
🧠 How to train your brain for resilience
😩 The power of sitting in the “suck”
💡 Simple strategies to reset stress and find balance
If you’re ready to transform stress into strength, this one’s for you!
What is on your to-do list for the week? ✅
I’m sure it includes meetings, tasks, personal chores, and follow-ups, but does it include things that bring you joy?
Instead of waiting for happiness, create it.. You can even focus on enjoyable things while doing the have-to do things.
Slogging through paperwork? Light a candle and listen to your favorite tunes.
Going for a drive? Listen to a stand-up comic or a great book.
Don’t neglect what brings you joy and happiness—make it a ritual and part of your resilience-building routine.
You know that heart-stopping moment when you try to change lanes, only to realize that someone is in your blind spot?
Blind spots aren’t just for driving. In life and leadership, we all have blind spots—things others see clearly that we don’t.
The tricky part? Blind spots aren’t always glaring flaws. Often, they’re our good intentions getting lost in translation. So, how do you uncover them?
Here’s a simple twist that will make a big difference: Ask for advice instead of feedback. 🗣
This slight shift makes people more likely to offer constructive, actionable insights—without triggering defensiveness. Plus, it builds trust and strengthens relationships.
Rather than trying to make drastic changes, pick one behavior and integrate it into your day.
Want to start a gratitude practice? Do it while you brush your teeth. Want to take deep breaths? Practice while you make coffee. Adding a new habit to an existing one makes it easier to stick with it.
#mindfulmonday #habitstacking #atomichabits #jamesclear
Humor changes your biochemistry, emotions, thoughts, and behavior. 😆
A positive mood boosts your immune system! Whether you find your laughter through being around friends, going to a comedy show, watching funny movies, or just being goofy, don’t underestimate the power of a belly laugh and a sense of humor.
When something stressful happens, there are really 2 different things taking place.
There’s the thing that is happening, and then there is the story that you tell yourself about the thing that’s happening.
The story is where criticism, judgment, self-doubt, and shame come in.
Whatever you have going on in your life right now, take a step back and try to view it from a third-person perspective. See if you can separate the facts from the story you tell yourself about it.
If we can start to separate the situation from the story, the story becomes much less scary because we realize it is one we’re telling.
This makes it easier to accept where you are without judgment, self-doubt, and shame. What we practice grows stronger. 📕
Anne Grady is a Speaker, Author, and #TruthBomb Dropper.
Anne shares practical strategies that can be applied both personally and professionally to improve relationships, navigate change, and triumph over adversity. And she’ll make you laugh while she does it. Anne is a two time TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. magazines, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Business. She is the best selling author of 52 Strategies for Life, Love & Work and Strong Enough: Choosing Courage, Resilience and Triumph.