The Holidays and Emotions

I've been unemployed for the better part of 2 years now. My spirits have been higher than they've been in the last few months. I think I was still riding the waves of high from my graduation in June and most recently a move to a new city. Once the dust settled and my days started merging into one long day (or so it seems), the negative emotions begin to arise. They've been a bit stronger given the Holiday season. Sure, it's sad to not have money to buy gifts or really go out at all, but its more sad when you have no family or friends around to support you during the tough times. I've been struggling with feelings of helplessness and fear. I've come to the realization that I don't have the answers. To when a job will come for me, or my husband, or when I will see our family again.  And what do I do with that?

To get through this, I do the only thing I know. I remember that the Holiday season is a time of joy, thankfulness and community. So, I find things that I'm grateful for everyday and make a list. I reach out to my community of support (even if they aren't physically present, I know I can get support through email too). I create space for fun and joy to fill my life daily.

It's all I can do and it works. I just have to remember to schedule these things in my day, each day. That helps me balance my emotional energy during this Holiday season. What are some things that you do to deal with Holiday emotions?

Book Recommendation- The Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan

I'm reading the Hindi-Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan for the second time. It's one of the very few books that I own. Most books I get from the library on the Kindle. This is an enjoyable read. I'ts a story about kinship between women, relationships, forgiveness, love and pain. And it's more than that. It's accessible to all and you also get to learn a bit about Indian culture (it even comes with some Indian recipes!) The author writes very well and I find myself feeling that I'm in conversation with her.

Here's an excerpt:
"I'm learning, understanding that what's right for one person, in one situation, may or may not be right for another person, or another situation. These are things that seemed so important to me in my twenties, thirties, forties, fifties. Now, I look back and see so many of those things don't matter at all in the long run. It was my ego that got in the way. Ego clouds our vision. We need to pierce the veil in order to see clearly" (Pradhan, 2007, p. 189).

Pick this book up, you won't regret it!

Doubt

Doubt creeps into my life more often than I'd like. It invades my thoughts and depletes my joy if I let it stay. So, how do I ask it to leave? I meditate, go for a walk outside, talk to a loved one, watch a funny movie or other tactic. Thats how I do it and then my joy returns. There is no right or wrong way. How do you diminish doubt and allow your joy to flourish?