A few strategies for the holidays:

• Make a holiday week look as similar as possible to a non holiday week. Meaning if you usually exercise 3 x a week, then go into the holiday week with the intention of exercising 3 x a week. If you meditate or journal a couple of times a week, keep doing that.

• Stick to what’s a “normal” amount of alcohol for you. So if you usually don’t have more than 2 glasses of wine when you’re out at a dinner, stick to that even when it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year. Whatever you’re up to is either fun or not fun, pouring more alcohol into the situation rarely improves things. (Also, alcohol is nearly always a biggish part of the reason a massive argument erupts at a dinner table).

• Don’t underestimate family get-togethers. You’re likely to “regress” a little when you go home and find yourself back in old familial dynamics and roles. Normalize this and be kind to yourself when it happens.

• Plan to be “on” and very conscious at a family get-together (no sleepwalking into them!). Keep in mind you may be sitting at a table with your childhood all around you. Be prepared for triggers and who’s likely to do or say what.

• Be realistic about what’s an appropriate amount of time to stay with family or have them stay with you. Many people do ok at first but then towards the end of a visit tensions start to run high. Short and sweet may be helpful – when you feel well and grounded the visit will go better. Sometimes making use of something like Airbnb, or making sure everybody has some downtime and privacy, can make all the difference.

• If you don’t have a daily meditation practice, there is no better time to start one. Meditation, along with movement, are massively powerful in keeping you balanced. Click the video if you want meditation to be a more consistent part of your life.