As we continue to navigate through the Holiday Season, it may be time to pause and reflect on the process that you used to get to this point. Looking back, we may want to take the best of the process and carry it forward to continue our journey through the Holidays. For the purpose of our discussion, we define Holiday Season as lasting from mid-October through mid-January. The Holidays are frequently filled with a kaleidoscope of emotions, ranging from joy to sorrow. In addition, compounded by the continually evolving news as it relates to the Covid-19 Pandemic, reflection of our process may be even more significant this year because of our possible beliefs that so much is out of our control. While our attempts to control events is mostly wasted effort, trying to control them can also be utterly exhausting and unfulfilling. On the other hand, reflection on the process that we have chosen can highlight the strengths we may want to draw on for the remainder of the season and beyond. An example of how we might learn from our process is by realizing that our celebration with food, while being the nourishment for our bodies, it also is the vehicle for the nourishment for our hearts and souls. In past years we have been able to commune together around our festive foods in close gatherings. This year, while we still may have a need to commune together, the vehicle that we use may be tailgating or virtual. So, in reflecting, we can see that although our process may have needed to be changed this year, we still found ways to come together to share with loved ones.
Key Takeaways
Now is the time to look back and see how we got here.
Food is more than the sum total of its nutrients.
Change is never done.
Best Practices
Make brainstorming new ideas on how to celebrate a fun activity with loved ones.
Continue to fold-in festive foods.
Be open to different ways of doing things.
Things to Limit
Being a Grinch.
Reflecting on the past and staying too long.
Allowing your regrets to replace your dreams.
Quote of the Week
“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strengths. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”
~ Ann Landers
In summary, our beliefs about the Holiday Season may be changing this year and continuing to learn from our past and bringing the best forward can offer us new insights to embrace.
Be well,
Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD
The paraDocs
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The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P and Chief Academic Officer and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD, RDN, CDN, Chief Nutrition Officer at SpNOD, Health Promotion Specialist, Research and Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and former Assistant Professor.
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