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Finding Your Moments of Peace


Hey there, Friend!

Especially now, with the holidays just around the corner, does the pressure to feel "festive" feel heavy on your chest? When you are in survival mode, the very idea of finding "holiday joy" can feel like an impossible, almost cruel, task. You look around at the lights, the noise, and the expectations, and instead of excitement, you feel a storm raging inside you. It’s a jarring disconnect that can make you feel like you’re failing at the season, simply because you’re struggling to keep your head above water.

Let’s be very clear: trying to force overwhelming joy when you are hurting is not the goal. What if we shifted the expectation entirely? Instead of searching for a happiness that feels out of reach, what if we simply gave you permission to look for small, quiet moments of peace?

Peace doesn’t have to be a grand, transformative experience, and it certainly doesn't mean the pain disappears. It just means finding a tiny pocket of calm that makes the storm feel a little more manageable. You can be in the middle of a difficult struggle and still deserve a moment to catch your breath. These moments are not about fixing everything; they are about holding you steady.

We live in a culture that tells us the holidays must be loud and boisterous to count. But your peace is allowed to be quiet. It can be five minutes of silence in your car before you walk into that family gathering. It can be the warmth of a mug of tea in your hands, or the grounding scent of peppermint oil when you feel the anxiety rising. These aren't just small things; they are your lifelines.

This might look like recognizing when you are about to react to a trigger and choosing to pause—taking just one conscious breath to reclaim a sense of control. It might look like excusing yourself from a crowded room to step outside, feeling the cold air on your face and looking up at the sky to reset your nervous system. These are not acts of avoidance; they are powerful acts of self-preservation. You are the expert on what you need. If your body is telling you to be quiet, listen to it. If your heart is telling you to step away, honor that.

The next time the pressure to "be happy" starts to weigh on you, try to meet it with this truth: You don't have to perform joy for anyone. You are allowed to simply survive this.

Your Gentle Reminders for the Season:

  • You don’t have to find joy right now; it’s enough to look for peace.

  • Small moments of calm can make a big difference in a hard season.

  • Stepping away to catch your breath is an act of resilience, not weakness.

  • Your peace is worth protecting, even if others don't understand it.

  • Trust your intuition—you are your own best caregiver.

Friend, you are navigating an incredibly difficult time, and you are doing it with so much strength. Please, let yourself off the hook for not feeling "merry." You are doing the best you can in a storm you did not ask for.

This holiday season, we are not wishing you a fake, forced joy. We are wishing you moments of quiet. Moments of calm. Moments where you can catch your breath and remember your own strength. We are holding that peaceful space for you, always. It’s not about pretending; it’s about finding a peace that is real and tangible, right where you are. 

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