Let’s be honest, the holidays can feel stressful for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones being the challenges & dynamics that often come with time with our extended families!
So let’s talk about how we can navigate it with much more peace. You don’t have to be a victim to your environment or circumstances.
Extended family relationships can be complicated, chaotic, messy, they can either feel like places of love, home, & community or places of negativity, discomf...
Let’s be honest, the holidays can feel stressful for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones being the challenges & dynamics that often come with time with our extended families!
So let’s talk about how we can navigate it with much more peace. You don’t have to be a victim to your environment or circumstances.
Extended family relationships can be complicated, chaotic, messy, they can either feel like places of love, home, & community or places of negativity, discomfort, tension in communication, & insecurity. Or maybe (more likely) a combination! Because none of our families are perfect on this side of Heaven.
We may be facing or dreading…
- Unsolicited or passive aggressive comments from family & opinions about our decisions, parenting, bodies, etc.
- Political disagreements or differing values, maybe they don’t share your faith
- Feeling labeled, or having a hard time not reverting back to who we used to be as a child, & how we used to treat each other, even though we’ve since grown a lot
- Navigating personalities, drama, & relationships still in need of healing
- Judgement, criticism, comparison, competition, making jokes that are more jabs than jokes because our families know our vulnerabilities & we may have tolerated certain things for years
- Unrealistic or unmet expectations, or upended plans due to sickness or other reasons
- Hiding in the bathroom to just get a break…
We’re called to be a light — a woman who radiates the joy, peace & love of Christ. But we don’t become this woman without preparation, intentionality & asking God for the grace we need!
We can’t control other people or all our circumstances but we don’t have to be a victim & absorb negativity, let it drain & deplete us, or steal our joy; we can take responsibility for our own actions & start changing the culture around us, beginning with who we are.
May this help you bless those around you even more fully this Christmas, and continue breaking down those barriers standing in the way of the peace the Lord wants to bring you this season.
***Join in my upcoming free New Years Goal Setting with God workshop on JAN 8th! Learn more & save your seat here.
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Email: megan@armedtotheheart.com
1:1 Coaching Call: Looking for more support & accountability as you work to break free from these cycles? Having support and being coached & mentored through this has made all the difference in the world for me, and for so many of my clients. There's no shame in struggling with this -- we're all on this journey & God wants to free us from this prison together. Don't let fear cause you to close in and isolate even more. We're not meant to walk alone.
Renew: My signature Group Coaching Community of Christian women & mamas (in the military & beyond!) who inspire & humble me every day with how much they embody this culture of celebrating, collaborating with, & connecting deeply with one another to run this race alongside each other.
Strong + Resilient Postpartum Fitness Program (18 week+ Plan for Busy, Active Mamas in the military + beyond who want to get stronger, heal their core + pelvic floor + regain confidence in their bodies again after giving birth, and have an empowering postpartum experience where you & your family can truly thrive)
RESOURCES FOR MORE BALANCE IN FAMILY & WORK-LIFE:
Overcome the Overwhelm (Feel like your to-do-list is never-ending, and pulled in a million directions? Grab my FREE guide to help you balance work + mom life with less guilt + more peace, with God at the center)
PREGNANCY & POSTPARTUM FITNESS RESOURCES:
Free Postpartum Fitness Guide: How to Return to Fitness Postpartum for Military Mamas + Beyond
Free Pregnancy Exercise Guide: How to Safely Exercise + Maintain Fitness Through Pregnancy
