Keeping Calm: Managing High Functioning Anxiety During the Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching and that possibly means you’ll be around your family or people you need to be sure to protect your energy. Learning to protect it (and then actually following through on that!) is a huge topic for women with high functioning anxiety.

I’ll be the first to admit, actively focusing on how to protect my energy is something I still do almost daily. It’s not like you did it once and ta da never have to be conscious of it ever again.

Here are a few ways I’ve learned to protect my energy, especially around difficult people. These tips will ensure that you’re being mentally healthy and in command of yourself when you have to be around people who may trigger your anxiety response. Getting swept away in family member’s fear, anxiety, and drama does not make for a happy holiday season!

Keep a Routine For Yourself

Focus on healthy eating, supplements to support your digestion and immune responses, moving your body...generally doing the things that make you feel the best. When you enter stressful situations from that place of empowerment and already having a high vibe, it’s a lot easier to gracefully meet people when they’re behaving… let’s say less-than gracefully themselves.

Find Ways to Lower the Stress

Let’s be honest, challenging people can get our shackles up, even if we come into the room as our highest vibe, most confident selves. Even if you prepare yourself with a healthy routine before even going into a situation with folks like that, having some tools on-hand to lower your stress levels in the moment can be helpful.

I like to set an intention for how I’ll be in the room and do a little visualization of my protective orb getting bigger and more nurturing. I’ll also visualize my energy as a big fluffy jacket and physically “zip up” my energy around me so no one can get in. I’ll also call in my angels to help dispel any negative energy around me

Finally, essential oils! Lavender, sweet basil, holy basil, bergamot, vetiver, rose, ylang ylang, and chamomile are all oils that can be easily found. They’ll help to calm your anxiety and lower your stress levels.

Stay Empathetic

As they say, we all are going through a battle everyone else knows nothing about. While it may be hard to stay empathetic (or even find empathy) for some people and in some situations, I find that doing so allows me to walk away from the interaction knowing I was being in integrity for me.

When I’m around challenging people, I like to remind myself that their highest self wouldn’t want to show up that way. They’re showing up as they are because of the baggage they’re carrying to the party, too.

When all else fails, keep your sense of humor! If you don’t let people get to you, they won’t get to you! Protecting your energy is critical, especially as a woman with high functioning anxiety because we want to make sure everyone around us is happy and taken care of. That can often mean we abandon ourselves in the process. Follow these tips and you’ll stay confident and calm in the face of family (or anyone) who may be challenging this holiday season!