Regulating through COVID holidays
Feeling another wave of dysregulation as the holiday season is creeping in?
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year all around the corner…
This time of year tends to be a stressful time for our nervous systems, and even more so now in the midst of a pandemic. You may be experiencing some changes if you celebrate any of these holidays.
Hopping on a plane to go meet family members is not an easy option. We’ve seen restrictions on gatherings and warnings around traveling. Many people have chosen not to gather with their loved ones this year. You may be staying home and that can be a difficult adjustment if you are used to spending this time in the company of others.
I want you to know that you’re not alone.
No matter what you are feeling, I can guarantee there are a thousand other people sharing similar sentiments. Anger, sadness, grief, envy, you name it.
Your individual and unique moments compromise a collective experience that so many others embody.
As marginalized folks, we know too well this experience of being alone in our experience, being “the only queer/Black/[fill in the blank]”.
You might miss family during these times. Yet we are not always in connection with our family of our origin. They may live in a different state or country. Or maybe they live right down the street, but they don’t accept us for who we are. Just because family is physically there doesn’t always mean they are present in our lives.
Family is often understood to be those who are related to us by blood, but what a vague and boring definition of family that is. Family doesn’t just have to be your parents and siblings. It can be your pet, your roommate, your friend, your plant, or YOU.
Remember, though you may feel alone physically, you are not in spirit.
I know this is a painful time. One accessible way out to heal is to practice gratitude.
Take a moment right now to find one thing, one person, or one experience that you are grateful for. Feel into how this thing, this person or this experience, and how it makes you feel held?
You're not alone today or ever.
Sending you one giant hug.
Nora