Surviving Thanksgiving Dinner When Your Family Voted Wrong

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family and faith. Gathering together is meant to be a wonderful time to share and enjoy our friends and family. After this recent political season, many families are left in need of healing. The differences seemed expansive and the emotions on both sides of the aisle are raw. How are you going to handle Thanksgiving politics over your dinner?

Start With Self Care

I encourage you to first work on your own coping skills. I have greatly reduced my use of social media for a while. I want to take a break from name calling, crying and anger that is running through my feed. There are just too many opportunities to escalate feelings or fall into destructive debates. Furthermore, when we witness stressful, high-pressure events, our brain identifies with it and even mimics the tone of whatever we’re seeing.

Spend some time in nature. Go for a walk. There is something very grounding about walking outside. For me, there is always something new that gives me pleasure, whether it is a bird singing, a new flower that has bloomed or simply the change in the tides. Additionally, moving while outside helps reset my brain to a more peaceful state of being.

It shouldn’t surprise you by now that I recommend taking deep breathes while walking and throughout your day. Deep breathes allow the oxygen to flow through your body, warming and relaxing muscles, clearing your mind and with a simple “Ahhhh” as you exhale it resets how you feel.

As you enjoy the breathes or the walks outside, squeeze your thumb and index finger together. Every time you have a moment that brings a smile, a laugh or any good feelings, squeeze those same fingers together again. The more you do this, the more you anchor good feelings into your system This will give you a simple method of feeling good at another time, a simple squeeze of the fingers.

Wrangling Guests

Now that you have worked on you, it’s time to think about your guests. First of all, as you are ready to sit down, make a group agreement to leave politics off the table. This makes it a group effort and allows for everyone to be a part of the group gathered. If you want, prior to guests arriving, create a few code words to be shared with others that indicate it is time to redirect the conversation. Have some topics ready for discussion, such as the kids school year or upcoming travel plans.

I have suggested to some to have a bowl on the table for collecting money. Anyone who violates the no politics rule has to put $5 in the first time, $10 the second and on and on. At the end of the night the money goes to a charity of the host’s choosing. You can label the bowl the “GOOD DIGESTION” bowl as you will have better digestion without the stress.

Remember You Love Them

Remember you care about these people. When you’re talking with someone at Thanksgiving try not to confuse the importance of the topic you’re discussing with the importance of the conversation you’re having. No matter how sad, mad or disappointed we are about anything in our lives – be it politics or not – there is also joy in the world and it is always available to us. Try to keep that in mind, and find some joy in being with your loved ones this holiday season — even if they do all vote the wrong way.

What Are You Grateful For?

Written by: Debbie

What are you grateful for at this time of giving thanks? I am grateful for hypnosis in my life. It has allowed me to experience so many wonderful changes in my life as well as the lives of my clients. I feel as though I get to experience miracles on a daily basis. What could be any better than that?

I have met so many people through hypnosis as well. When you are a hypnotist, it is always fun when polite conversation gets around to, “So, what do you do for a living?” The variety of reactions I get is wide and usually fun. People are just naturally curious about hypnosis. Furthermore, most people know of someone who has used hypnosis successfully and are excited to reassure me that hypnosis works! I love that people are so willing to affirm me in that way.

Every job has its perks. Certainly, it is obvious that as a hypnotist I am lucky enough to use self-hypnosis on a regular basis. I have been able to drop some weight, overcome a resistance to driving long distances and improve my healthy habits. (I NEVER get sick!) My colleagues are awesome, so anytime we get together, it is a trance fest!

Whenever there are polls about what is your dream job, guess what? I already have a dream job, so I don’t need to try and figure it out.

Thanksgiving is approaching and we are all about to take time to reflect upon what we are grateful for. I can place hypnosis near the top of my list. My family is at the top, but hypnosis falls into place right after that. I always tell people I fell in love with hypnosis at first trance and it is a love affair that is still going strong! So, again I ask, what are you grateful for?

Gracious + Attitude = Gratitude

Written by: Debbie

Thanksgiving commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a day set aside to give thanks for the bounty of the previous year, although it often ends up with feasting, football and now even shopping for the upcoming holidays. Hence, we have one day a year to express our gratitude, between these other activities. Yet, is one day a year, during commercial breaks really enough?

Research has found that grateful people are more likely to:

-Take better care of themselves physically and mentally

-Engage in more protective health behaviors and maintenance

-Get more regular exercise

-Eat a healthier diet

-Have improved mental alertness

-Schedule regular physical examinations with their doctor

-Cope better with stress and daily challenges

-Feel happier and more optimistic

-Avoid problematic physical symptoms

-Have stronger immune systems

-Maintain a brighter view of life

So, perhaps a daily flexing of the gratitude muscle is in order. I call it a muscle to show you that gratitude is not just a feeling, if it was, we would feel it all the time. Gratitude is the combination of being gracious and one’s attitude. I want all the benefits listed above, so I decided to start daily rituals of gratitude. Daily reminders of what is right in my life as opposed to running the constant treadmill of more, more more!

Here are simple ways you can join me in this practice.

Good Morning and Thank You! Before you even get out of bed, take 2 minutes to reflect on whoever or whatever you are grateful for. Just a silent thank you will set the tone of your day to come.

Say Thank You. Whenever someone does something nice, say thank you. Mean it. No matter how small, recognize the kindnesses in your life.

Write a handwritten note of thanks. How many handwritten notes have you gotten lately. If you are like most people, not many. Texting and email has replaced the art of the written note. Yet, just send out one note a day and see how good you feel. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy, after all it is the thought that counts. (Especially for you!) It can even be a note of thanks left on the desk of a co-worker or written on a bill along with the payment.

List 3 reason for gratitude at the end of your day. Keeping a gratitude journal is easy when it is only 3 reasons at the end of the day. On the days you feel less than grateful, you have your journal as a reminder of the good things in your life.

As always, feel free to drop by my website to listen to a free audio.

Please, leave anything you do to enhance your attitude of gracious receiving in the comments below.