Unlike most people, I’m not a big fan of the holidays.
As an immigrant to this country, it brings childhood memories of holidays.
While all my friends would have gifts from Santa I would wake up to none.
I grew up thinking that maybe Santa didn’t have my new address.
But as I got older I realized that my parents had to choose between putting food on the table or presents under the tree.
This realization is one of the reasons why the holidays tend to throw a wrench into my usual routine.
And if I’m not careful, it’s easy to slip into a darker headspace, especially when the holiday cheer doesn’t resonate with my personal experiences.
So if the holidays make you feel isolated and put you into a bit of a depression that can lead to dark thoughts.
Consider doing what I do…
Number One: Stick With A Solid Schedule
I maintain a very tight routine in my schedule, especially my training routine. I train 7 days a week, twice a day, and literally double up on my reps and sets during my workouts.
I may not know much but I do know that nothing leads you to a better day than a clanging and banging weights in the morning. From experience, nothing leads to a better day than a hard morning workout. And nothing leads to a better night’s sleep than letting all the daily stress out with a solid night workout like boxing or jiu-jitsu.
Number Two: Serve Others
For those of you who know me, every year we shut down a store and buy a bunch of toys for the holidays for Toys for Tots – providing toys for hundreds of less fortunate kids on Christmas day.
Now you don’t have to shut down a store like we do but you can volunteer at your local shelter or donate what you can to a local toy drive.
So when you go out and serve others and tighten up your routine, you’ll find that the holidays will treat you better.
Look whatever holidays mean to you I just want to let you know this:
You Matter And I’m Proud Of You
You got this brother.
Talk soon,
Bedros Keuilian
P.S. If you’re grappling with that dark headspace then this video might help.