Making It Through the Holidays: Our Favorite Reads

Welcome. The past 12 months have been a journey. But look at you. You’re here. You have arrived. It’s the holiday season. Mistletoe and snowflakes. Sky lanterns and plum pudding. Chocolates. Wine. Candlelight, presents, feasts, and prayers. Whatever festivities you’re celebrating this year, I’m sure you’re feeling mixed emotions. For some of us, the holidays are a time of joy and cheer. For others, they may be a reminder of the loved ones we miss, the money we don’t have to throw at gifts or fancy meals, and the mountain of loose ends we need to tie up at work. On the other hand, there is hope in the air. In 2021, we were resilient. Now, 2022 is around the corner, and with it comes promise. This week, give yourself a little grace. Own your feelings. If you’re upset because you miss someone, sit with that for a while. If you’re excited to decorate your first fake tree, don’t hide it. If you’re feeling nostalgic, and need some space for reflection, take it. Every one of your emotions is valid, and you deserve to honor them after making it through another ridiculously long year. Recommended Reads Why Am I So Obsessed with Giving People Gifts? by Paige Cohen Remember when I told you to take some space for self-reflection? Well, I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Every year, around this time, I put myself into debt buying presents for other people when what I’m really looking for is a connection. To break this habit, I asked a neuroscientist, a social psychologist, the inventor of the “love language,” and of course, my therapist, how to get over it. You Don’t Need to Be Cheerful Just Because It’s the Holidays by Kelsey Alpaio A part of owning your emotions is recognizing when you’re faking them. Sometimes we can get so caught up in trying to feel how we think we’re “supposed to” that we end up suppressing ourselves. And this has consequences — both mental and physical. How to Get Through the Holidays Without Going Broke by Daniel Lee One universal feeling this season? Stress about money. To ease your anxieties, we spoke to a financial advisor who gave us four holiday money hacks. Holidays Can Be Stressful. They Don’t Have to Stress Out Your Team. by Jennifer Moss For some people, the holidays can be the loneliest and most stressful time of the year. Coping with personal stress is already challenging, but when combined with workplace stress, it’s no wonder holiday cheers soon devolve to holiday sneers. So how can managers — new or seasoned — help combat stress during the holiday season? The Post-Holiday Funk Is Real by Art Markan No one wants to start the year off in a rut. And yet many of us begin January too focused on the past and feeling bad about what we have yet to accomplish. With some small changes in your perspective, you can hit the ground running in the new year. Like what you see? This article is adapted from our weekly newsletter.

Making It Through the Holidays: Our Favorite Reads

Partner Center