Day 3 - The Nutcracker

Protect your emotional health.

Photo by Jocelyn Allen on Unsplash

Raise your hand if you love The Nutcracker!

Seeing The Nutcracker ballet is a tradition of mine, ever since I was a little girl. I was even fortunate enough to play a few roles in childhood and adulthood (a soldier, a Ginger Child, and Spanish Chocolate).

There’s something heartwarming about it all—the music, the costumes, the magic.

Tradition says that nutcrackers bring good luck and protection to a household, making them a perfect reminder of the importance of protecting our time and emotions during the holiday season. In the last post, we talked about how defining our values can help us protect our time by making conscious decisions about our holiday activities.

The rest of the animal world uses winter to rest and replenish, yet for modern humans, it’s one of the busiest times of the year. So it’s ok to redefine productivity for yourself over the next few months. In fact, starting in January, I’ll be writing about my own read of the book Wintering by Katherine May, which encourages us to pare down our to-do lists and our expectations of ourselves, and to follow Nature’s lead. Sometimes less can be more.

Nutcrackers can remind us to protect our hearts, as well. Maintaining healthy boundaries is essential at the holidays. Get a plan together now for how you’ll navigate difficult family situations and who your support team will be with you need a funny text to get you through.

Here are some reflection prompts and boundary-setting tips to get you started: