It’s that time of the year again…lights sparkling in the neighbourhood, rosy-cheeked children laughing and clapping at the Santa Claus Parade, a festive sleigh ride then going home to a roaring fire, eggnog, and the family dog napping at the foot of the ideal Christmas tree.
So perfect.
WAIT! Hit the pause button.
This can’t be right; my holiday doesn’t look like a Norman Rockwell print. That kind of perfection only exists in Hallmark movies and grocery chain commercials.
And so it begins…the inundation of carefully crafted holiday images on television ads, holiday movies, Facebook posts, Pinterest, and Insta-stories.
No one has a Christmas that looks like that all the time. There are snippets and moments but the holidays are often characterized by rushing to and fro, accepting too many invitations, dealing with challenging family dynamics, and holding on to unrealistic expectations.
So how to cope with all this? What can you do?
Number one – take a breath and realize what lies beneath.
“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel” – Steve Furtick
YES! Your best friend, your mother, your high school gym teacher, that new mom friend from the playground, your pastor, your 4th cousin twice removed…we all do it – we show the best aspects of our lives on social media and keep the chaotic, messy, emotional, not Insta-worthy pieces hidden.
When we unjustly compare a moment that fits into 140 characters with the messiness of real life, it can hurt.
Stay tuned this week as we explore ways to manage those unreal holiday expectations built up from social media comparisons.
And if you are ready to make a change in your life but you’re just not sure how to do it on your own – reach out and contact me…you don’t have to do this by yourself.
Kerri
-The Coffee & Conversation Counsellor