Thanks for Chatting
November 26, 2025
Holiday Humbug
December 10, 2025
Options
The rat will adapt to most any landscape.
The beaver will gnaw and slap and drag the landscape to fit her needs.
I can’t tell you which is better.
Just reminding you that both are options.
Jarod K Anderson, Haunted Forest Trilogy
As you navigate the holiday season, take care. Traditions can be grounding as they bring continuity over the years, sometimes they are exhausting. Using the options described in the poem above, You can decide how to cope with this season:
Adapt
There are many ways to adapt your behavior during the holidays so that you enjoy the fun parts and conserve your energy. Decorate one room rather than the whole house or open gifts at a different time of day. Perhaps you go to that party, but you don’t stay the whole time – or you bring a friend for support. You can follow some traditions but rearrange the timeline. You can visit family and bring your own safe foods. You can participate in gift giving but communicate your budget, or desire to shop less, in advance. Have fun, eat yummy food, participate in activities, and enjoy the people you love all in ways that are manageable. Adapt your participation or traditions to what works for you.
Change the Landscape
Perhaps you need to create your own haven by building new traditions or inviting chosen family. Gnaw or drag parts of your schedule so that it best fits you and your family. Beavers slap their tails to warn one another of danger before diving into their den. Take time to communicate your concerns and identify ways to retreat and recharge. Don’t engage in activities or events that are predictably stressful. Rearrange your schedule or your space in ways that suit you, giving yourself the resources and time you need to connect with others and rejuvenate yourself.
Notice Limited Choices
The option of adapting or changing the landscape is an example of an A-or-B choice. Limited choices are super helpful with toddlers “do you want the snowman or dinosaur pajamas?” You aren’t presenting all the possibilities: go to bed, eat ice cream, or play in the dog’s water bowl. As an adult, notice when limited choices are presented to you. Are you decorating with traditional decor or trendy themes? Either way, you are decorating. Where do you want to gather with the whole extended family? This does not ask if you want to get together with everyone. As you consider all your options, watch for A-or-B choices, so that you can consider all your alternatives.
As you move into the height of the holiday season, remember you have options. Take a moment to consider this year’s holiday plans. You can adapt your routines and traditions to make them feasible, rearrange the landscape into a whole new look, or navigate a mix of the two. Talk with those close to you about what works for this year. As you have these conversations, watch for A-or-B choices as they are often false limitations.
Holiday activities can build your resilience through joy, connection, and fun – or deplete it with stress, conflict, and exhaustion. There is no right or wrong in this; your power lies in awareness that options exist. Pay attention to what “better” looks like for you during this holiday season.
Peace,
Laura
