Shelve The Shoulds

By Margie Warrell

This post was originally published on this site

Margie Warrell is a valued member and coach in the Balance community. This post has been republished with permission from www.margiewarrell.com

This time of year comes with a lot of expectations, social pressures and family traditions – some of which can suck the joy from the festive season and leave us feeling stressed out, burnt out and anything but Merry.

When you feel the pressure to get it all done pressing in on you, it is worth paying extra attention to where you are shoulding on yourself and to be more deliberate in only doing those things that help you feel and spread the holiday spirit.

Our shoulds often tend to reflect far more what others want and expect of us than what we truly want for ourselves. It’s why we must be careful not to should on ourselves or let others should on us. I’ve seen it happen far, far too much and often results in resentment, regret and unnecessary stress.

So if you’re feeling a tad overwhelmed with all you have on, ask yourself: what’s one thing you could take off you “Should Do” list? As I share in this short video, try replacing your ‘should’ with ‘could’. It removes the judgment and frees you up to do what serves and energizes you, not what just adds more stress and drains you.

Whatever you have on your plate in the days to come, I wish you plenty of fun and special moments with those you love.

Just remember, there is no greater gift you can give those you love than being fully present to them. Sometimes that requires, doing less, not more.