EFT For Holiday Blues

EFT for Holiday Bluesnby Chip EngelmannnnThanksgiving is supposed to be a time of getting together with friends and family to express gratitude for the abundance in our lives. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are supposedly a time of rejoicing, giving and sharing. But for some individuals, the cheer just isn’t there. For them, holiday emotions can range from uncomfortable to anxious to depressing.nnI like Blue Collar Comedy Ron White’s description of why he hates holiday dinners, sitting at the table with his family. Invariably, his mother would ask what is going on in each of the sibling’s lives. His sister, the lawyer, talks about the pro bono cases she has been working on and how she is serving the community. His brother, the doctor, talks of a new surgical procedure. Now it is Ron’s turn. Ron replies,nn“Well, I developed a new joke about the time I caught my [certain appendage] in the toaster.”nnThe holidays just seem to bring out our feelings of inadequacy: nnI don’t have time to handle all this shopping/decorating/cooking. nI’m obligated to give presents that I can’t afford to people who don’t need them or want them.nHow come I never get as much as I give? nWill the relatives notice that I put on weight over the year? nWhat if they ask about my job/spouse, which I lost? nIf I have to see Uncle Harry, I’m not going. nAre my gifts good enough?nIs my cooking good enough? nEveryone seems happy except me. What is wrong with me?nI don’t have anyone special to spend Christmas with. nIt just isn’t the same since my husband/wife/child died. nnHoliday blues are often related to childhood experiences of the holidays. A person may have made a “decision” about the holidays based upon their emotional reactions to either a specific event or a series of events. Other people may have had a trauma occur around the holidays such as the death of a loved one, an accident, or an illness. Suppressed emotions from these experiences can then either surface overtly, or simmer just below the surface to create an undercurrent of emotions that color the holiday experience. nnA common defense mechanism for someone with the holiday blues is to put on a “Bah Humbug” attitude, gratified by an endless stream of people trying to cheer that person up. Others will put on a false smile, while inside they are sad and lonely. Still others get through it with alcohol. nnAnother way people cope is to treat themselves as "special" by allowing themselves to eat what they want until the new year--thinking they'll go on a diet as a New Year's Resolution. Or they may pamper themselves to a special bottle of wine, or buy themselves a big gift to compensate for their perception of lack of love they might be experiencing. Presented with the opportunity, however, these people probably would not think of spending the same money to change their perception so that the holidays become a celebration to look forward to and enjoy. nnWith Emotional Freedom Techniques, more commonly known as EFT, people have a way to get out from under the holiday blues. Just because “it has always been this way,” doesn’t mean one is stuck there.nnIt takes a lot of will and commitment to make a change in our lives. We often cannot see a way out of our situation. We get into a rut. However, if we use EFT to remove the energy from the emotions that are like a weight, then the rut is not so deep. Keep using EFT to work on the emotions, and the rut can become insignificant and a life change is possible.nnI encourage clients to try to resolve their own issues with EFT, and have developed an eBook to help them do so. [You can download the free EFT Quick-Start Method at ChipEFT.com.] But in the case of holiday blues, the core issue is probably something that should be worked on with a professional. Dr. Glen Depke, ND EFT practitioner for Dr. Mercola, recommends that anytime a person is dealing with a core issue, he or she should get professional help. “Everyone has their own agenda [blind spots], and you need a professional to help you get beyond the agenda to the core issue.”nn© 2007 Chip Engelmann