173. Kicking Out Christmas Stress: Your Guide to a Joyful Holiday Season

The Quilters Coach Podcast

Have you ever felt that the holiday season brings as much stress as it does joy? With so many expectations and traditions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, wishing you could enjoy Christmas on your own terms without the pressure. If the thought of holiday preparations makes you anxious, this episode is for you. I’m Dara Thomason, and today, we’re exploring how to create a holiday season that feels meaningful and stress-free.

In this episode, I walk you through how to kick holiday stress to the curb, using powerful insights from neuroscience and personal experiences. Together, we’ll reflect on how to adjust your holiday habits to feel more joy and less pressure. You’ll learn practical tools to help you plan ahead, edit traditions that no longer serve you, and visualize a holiday season that leaves you feeling connected and fulfilled. It’s all about crafting a Christmas that brings peace instead of chaos!

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to reframe your holiday traditions to align with what truly brings you joy
• Ways to set clear emotional goals for Christmas to keep stress at bay
• Simple visualization techniques to prepare for a peaceful and enjoyable holiday

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Resources:

• Emotion Wheel: https://positivepsychology.com/emotion-wheel/
• The Happiness Project: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-happiness-project/
• Michael Phelps - The Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-mZhvxeK_k
• Science of Visualization: https://www.neurovine.ai/blog/the-science-of-visualization-can-imagining-your-goals-make-you-more-likely-to-accomplish-them