![Harriette Cole: How to reboot when Thanksgiving stress sets in](https://www.eastbaytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/harriet1500px-19.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all)
Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year for so many reasons. Related Articles For many of us, the weather has changed, and there is a crispness in the air. It’s time to cozy up in warm sweaters and blankets. Being together with loved ones is paramount for families and
Friends at this time of year. Indeed, this weekend has long been heralded as the busiest travel weekend of the year. We drive, fly and take trains and buses in order to get to our loved ones. Most of the time, it is worth it. It can also be stressful. So many of you have written to me over the years to admit that all kinds of soul-stirring, sometimes highly emotional experiences bubble forth at this time, and it can feel overwhelming. Old wounds re-emerge. Insecurities flare. Loneliness masquerades as bitterness or anger. A lot is going on. I want to invite you — all of us — to take a collective deep breath and look at this moment in time differently. No matter where you are or with whom, be still. Follow a practice I learned from my mom: Be grateful for where you are and what you have, no matter how small or vast that may be. Make a physical gratitude list by writing down every single thing you can think of for which you are grateful. This can include everything from being glad that you woke up this morning to that you have food to eat, friends to love, a
Job to pay the bills or prospects on the horizon, and so forth. Tell yourself out loud that you are grateful for . Look in the mirror and thank yourself for showing up. Give yourself a smile. Look out into your world. Whoever is there — give that person a smile and a verbal sign of gratitude. Choose to be at peace with this moment. Recognize that being alive and able to experience counts. Make the commitment to observe and interact in the present. That means that you resist falling into old patterns of behavior. When you feel yourself reverting back to your former self, say inside and stop. Take a deep breath and remember where you are, who you are and what you bring to the table today. Related Articles Create boundaries around your privacy. If you do not want to talk about certain things, be prepared to say that is off-limits. When folks probe, ignore them. You can physically walk away when you find yourself boxed into a discussion that you find uncomfortable. Command agency over your life. You have the power to do that. Then, rather than allowing yourself to get exasperated or angry, express gratitude inwardly for having the courage to run your life rather than allowing anybody else to push you around. Keep reminding yourself that you can do all of this. Access peace by carving out alone time. Take a walk. Take a nap. Go for a drive. Complete a chore. Talk to a young child. Get out of your head and into the moment. Glory in that, and you will be fine!