Breathe After Every Eye Twitch: A Holiday Stress Blog
Your girl loves the Holiday Baking Championship.
Every November, I turn into a full-on Food Network superfan — cozy socks, hot chocolate, and judging pastries I fully cannot bake myself.
Last year, I shared how much I love watching contestants use breathing techniques on camera. (Yes, even on TV, people need a second to collect themselves before piping buttercream roses.)
But this year, I noticed something different.
It wasn’t the cakes.
It wasn’t the recipes.
It wasn’t even the dramatic “your cake is sliding off the stand!” cliffhangers.
It was the contestants’ stories.
Every single baker has something they’re carrying — a hardship, a fear, a loss, a dream. They show up to that kitchen with more than flour and sugar. They show up with real life.
And honestly?
So do we.
Bring That Same Compassion Into Your Holiday Season
As you move into holiday mode — family gatherings, packed stores, “Did you bring the mashed potatoes?” texts — remember this:
Everyone is going through something.
That lady in front of you taking forever at checkout?
She’s carrying something.
Your aunt making comments about your kitchen again?
She’s carrying something.
The stranger who seems extra snappy, or the friend who seems extra quiet?
Carrying something.
This isn’t The Lion King.
Nobody out here is living “hakuna matata.”
This Month’s Challenge: Pay Attention to Your Reaction
In the moments when you feel your eye twitching…
or your patience slipping…
or your internal monologue going, “Oh absolutely not”...
Pause.
You cannot control anyone else.
But you can control how you respond.
Your job is not to fix everyone around you.
Your job is to notice your reaction, breathe through it, and choose kindness — toward them and toward yourself.
