Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Media Psychologist, and Author
Memoir Writing, Blogging, and Ghostwriting
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Weekly Doses of Pop-up Psych
We all make cringey mistakes and deserve to move on, rather than feel confused or regretful after an icky social situation. Each week, I will dissect a murky social, life cycle, or pop culture topic to help you understand, learn, and move on. As a former academic, I am a super-picky consumer of research (and you should be too) as well as the content I create and share, so those new solutions, data and/or additional resources have certainly met my approval.
Reframing Holiday Wishes: Let's Ease Up and Enjoy the Season
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which we are reminded of as this song plays on repeat, while we are running around, plowing through lists, meeting end-of-year deadlines, and managing all the various holiday feels. On top of it all, we hear about people complaining about receiving holiday wishes that don't match what they celebrate. Whether it’s “Happy Holidays”, to the person who celebrates Christmas and “Merry Christmas” to the ones who don't, sometimes we get it wrong.
A wish is a wish is a wish
There are twenty holidays celebrated among various cultures, faiths, and nationalities, between November and January 1st. Embrace those wishes, regardless of the format. When a wish is sincere, as opposed to sarcastic, positive vibes are sent your way. Maybe it’s not your way, but it’s their way. Nobody is trying to offend you. They are showing kindness, peace, and love without using those words.
I won’t drag on about the laundry list of topics that polarizes us, but can we just agree to enjoy the holiday season? We all enjoy it our own way. Some people enjoy the holidays like the commercials: filled with family, friends, and joy. With the divorce rate of 50%, is that really a “typical” picture of the holidays? Others might best enjoy the holidays by avoiding them altogether with work or travel.
You can’t deny the lights are fun
Whatever you do or don’t celebrate, it’s fun, easy, and usually costs nothing to enjoy the beautiful and fun lights displays. We can agree that people are trying to be nice. When people seem unkind, give them grace because they could be in a great deal of pain; especially this time of year. If all else fails, enjoy the lights displays everywhere that brighten up our dark December.
All About You
What’s your favorite way to spread holiday cheer? What is your signature wish during the holiday season? What’s your favorite wish to receive?
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Hi, Beautiful Readers! Thank you for reading this! I'm Dr. Joanne Broder, Media Psychologist, Author, and Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Please consider me to help you write your memoir, blogs, speeches, e-books, as well as coach you on your dissertation or thesis. Click here so we can connect!