How to Give Yourself Gratitude During the Chaos of the Holidays
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Zaryn Nicole.
Interview featuring: Kendall Merritt
Model: Zaryn Nicole
Creative Direction by: Catie Menke
Got any Relationship Questions? We want to hear them.
Send us your questions to hello@catiemenke.com and Kendall Merritt, Founder of Soul Saturations, Certified Energy Coach + Sex and Relationship Coach will be happy to answer!
Holidays are a time where I feel like I’m always giving, giving, giving to everybody else. How can I make the time to give gratitude to myself and my partner when I am caught up in all the chaos?
Establish radical compassion for yourself
KENDALL: First of all, it’s essential to establish that radical compassion, right? That radical compassion for yourself. Radical compassion for your partner. And radical compassion for your family.
So a key piece of that radical compassion that I like to think about is to always assume positive intent. Sometimes when we are with our families or with our partners, I think we can kind of get swept into things and can start to take things personally. Instead of obsessing and overanalyzing things, you can assume that there was a positive intention behind it. This may help you from not getting as caught up and thrown off.
So give yourself radical compassion. Know it is a heighten time of intensity and give yourself grace during this time of stress and overwhelm. Practice and know that you can always come back to radical compassion.
Clearly communicate what you need
KENDALL: It’s also about clearly communicating what we need. It’s about being able to identify what we feel and being able to communicate that.
So when we look through the lens of self and taking care of ourselves first, you have to be able to have a full cup to be able to pour into anybody else’s. A great way to show gratitude to yourself is to prioritize time with yourself.
A few ways to prioritize time with yourself are:
A meditation practice
Intimately connecting with yourself through self pleasure.
To explore deeper into honoring your self pleasure click here for a free guide from Kendall Merritt.
Especially as women, we hold so much tension in our bodies making it very important to show our bodies gratitude. It is important to show this vessel that is holding us and carrying us through this life with love. I encourage you to take time for yourself, with no other goal than to just be present and in the moment.
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Zaryn Nicole.
Show Gratitude to your partner
KENDALL: If you are in a relationship, know that there is a lot of pressure on partnerships and relationships. I think it’s important to be extra thoughtful during the holidays on how you show appreciation to your partner.
A couple examples of encouragement phrases are:
“I love how hard you are working for us.”
“I really know you don’t want to go to Aunt Susie’s house, but thank you for showing up and being friendly, loving and caring.”
Also think about those little extra things that you can do that your partner is going to appreciate. Do they like handwritten notes? Do they like being taken out to a nice dinner? Making sure that you are carving out time to spend with just the two of you so you don’t get lost in the holiday twist and turns.
Establish Boundaries
KENDALL: And lastly, it’s also really important to establish boundaries with your family and talking about the things you need. You want to be able to honor the time with your family while also honoring yourself and your needs. This is where it all comes full circle. You want to be able to be present and whole and not be pouring from an empty cup while celebrating the holidays.
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