Merri Bame’s Post

Holiday Sensitivity Alert It's important to be careful assuming that everyone has family and friends to spend the holidays with. There are many out there who don’t. When you’re with a group of people like at work or in a social setting, it may be tempting to ask everyone what they’re up to for the holidays. For some, it will be a pleasure to share. For some, it may be a trigger of sadness. For some, it may be a reminder of all that’s been lost. Proceed with caution.  Know your audience. 

With summer holiday season just around the corner I wanted to share some advice that a friend of mine received when her house was burgled whilst she was on her summer holidays. 1. Don't post your holiday plans on your socials before you go away. Especially if there is a way that people can figure out your home address (is your business registered there or have you posted photos of your home recently?). You're basically telling everyone that your house or office might be empty for the next 1 or 2 weeks. 2. Post your holiday news and photos when you return, making it clear that you're back .... 3. ....unless you go away on holiday at the same time every year (half term etc). In which case, vary the time that you post your holiday news so that it isn't clear when you actually went. 4. When you activate your out-of-office response, don't explicitly say that you will be going away on holiday. If you will be away from home, don't even mention that you're taking annual leave. Just say that you'll be away from your desk. Please follow these steps and have safe and wonderful holidays this year.

The holidays can present unique challenges to those who are working to stay sober. There may be added temptation or pressure at family get togethers or parties with friends. Join us on our blog where we discuss 8 helpful tips for staying sober at the holidays. https://lnkd.in/gRnmBUs

14 Days to Christmas 21 Days to New Year This is the season for pause, reflect, refill, renew. Taking a break, however short, goes a long way to rejuvenate and refuel you for next year. Whether you retreat with family, friend or with self, the results will give you impetus for the coming year and refresh you! You fixed your Team? - May be, but that's your Team...Now it's time to Fix YOU! It doesn't have to he a grand plan...if you have been too busy to plan, start with the easiest way out:-look for professional holiday planners and get someone to do the quick fix! @bushblazerstours

Coping with the Holidays: Finding Comfort After Loss or While Alone Read the article 👉 https://loom.ly/fTkkEOQ The holiday season is often depicted as a time of joy, family gatherings, and celebration, but for many, it can be a period of deep reflection and emotional challenge. When you’ve lost a loved one, are spending the holidays alone, or have chosen not to celebrate in the usual way, the festive cheer around you can feel isolating or even overwhelming. It’s important to remember that it’s okay if your holiday experience doesn’t align with traditional expectations—your feelings are valid, and your well-being matters. Continue reading 👉 https://loom.ly/fTkkEOQ

🦃Here we go! The holiday season is kicking off and here are the 3 P’s of holiday gatherings, travel and going out to dinner that can make things run a little more smoothly for you and your family! 🍗 pre-load/practice This one works for little ones all the way up through teenagers. Let your kids know ahead of time what’s going to be happening and what will be expected of them. For example, you might be traveling somewhere on an airplane. Practice with your little ones in your car with seatbelts, letting them know that on the airplane it’s the same thing. Talk about the fact that they’ll need to stay in their seat the whole time and let them know that you’ll have things for them to play with, snacks to eat, etc.. You can preload Thanksgiving dinner ( or any other out-to-eat experience) expectations too. For little ones this might mean talking about staying at the table for the entire dinner. It can mean practicing putting napkins on laps and using quiet voices during dinner. For tweens and teens preloading looks more like talking about if phones/tablets will be allowed or not, and making sure they understand the expectations ahead of time rather than right before the event. It can also look like brainstorming a list of open-ended questions that they can ask grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. IMPORTANT: preloading also works with your relatives. If you have an extremely shy child who is not comfortable giving relatives a hug, it is well within your rights to let people know ahead of time that your child prefers a fist bump or a wave. It’s important to listen to our children if they are not comfortable hugging someone they haven’t seen for a long time. Saying something to your child like “you know your body and you’ll know when you’re ready and it’s OK to give a wave instead” is perfectly acceptable. 🦃 Please see comments for the rest of the 3Ps of holiday gatherings and travel!

I know what it feels like to need a holiday survival guide just to make it to New Year’s. 👉🏼 Work deadlines 👉🏼 Your never-ending gift list 👉🏼 Aunt Carol’s annual interrogation (you know the one) It’s clear why your nervous system is in overdrive 🥴 But what if you could actually… ENJOY the holidays this year? That’s exactly what my FREE 5-day mini-course, Holiday Calm, is here for. In just 5 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple, powerful tools to: 🎄 Ground yourself before a big meeting or family gathering 🎄 Release tension that’s been living rent-free in your shoulders 🎄 Savor the moment so you can actually feel the joy of the season No fluff. No complicated routines. Just quick, effective tools you can use anywhere (even at your desk or in holiday traffic). 🎁 Claim your calm here: https://lnkd.in/gMJ6zCDZ

Are you ready for the holidays and connecting with people who may have voted differently than you? No matter how you voted or where you stand, we all want peaceful holiday dinners and parties. That’s why we created "Ho Ho Hold Up! A Holiday Guide to Respectfully Disagree and Not Ruin Dinner (or the Holiday Party)"! Inside, you’ll find 10 super practical tips (plus a bonus!) to help you lean into better relationships and meaningful conversations this holiday season. Sure, we could’ve included more, but these are the ones that pack the biggest punch. ✅ Let’s keep the holidays joyful. ✅ Let’s keep the connections meaningful. ✅ And let’s avoid turning dinner into a debate stage. Give the gift of respect: Check out the guide and share it with anyone who could use a little extra peace around the table. Together, we can make this holiday season a time of unity, not division (or at least more respectful). If all else fails, maybe the bonus will resonate with you! #RespectfullyDisagree #GoldenRespect #Holidays

⚡ How many days is the New Year's holiday? Are December 31 and January 1 public holidays? Which day does New Year's fall on? Learn the answers to all these questions and the details of the New Year's holiday.

How to leave on time before the holidays! This year has been tough on many fronts so it's understandable if you're dying to get away from your desk and take a well deserved holiday. Here's some tips on how to wrap things up quickly so you can leave on time 😎 Clean out your desk - get rid of anything that is lying around that you have forgotten about. The print out that you've forgotten about, put it in the secured bin. Any snacks lying around, ditch them. Get rid of the clutter so you have a tidy space to greet you when you get back. Clear your emails - reply to ones you can or are a priority. Flag ones you can't solve today so you don't forget them when you get back. Block out your calendar for your return so you can have a moment to reacclimatise to being back at work. Make a to do list - when you get back it can jog your memory and you can pick up where you left off. Avoid 'you know who' - we all know that person who loves to chat and misses social cues. This is the only time ghosting is allowed 👻 🤣 (Just checking to see who makes it this far 😉 ).