The Self Development Coach
The Self Development Coach
044. Festive Anxiety: A Survival Toolkit for Christmas (Without Losing Your Mind) | The Johnny Lawrence Podcast
044. Festive Anxiety: A Survival Toolkit for Christmas (Without Losing Your Mind) | The Johnny Lawrence Podcast
044. Festive Anxiety: A Survival Toolkit for Christmas (Without Losing Your Mind) | The Johnny Lawrence Podcast
Wednesday 24th December 2025
Johnny Lawrence shares a survival toolkit for managing festive anxiety, offering strategies for handling family dynamics and maintaining mental health.
11 minutes
Inspiring
Informative
Hopeful
Compassionate
Supportive
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Get the buttons here!Surviving Christmas: A Festive Anxiety Toolkit
Episode Overview
- Prepare neutral responses to triggering questions in advance.
- Allow yourself to walk away from overwhelming situations.
- Let go of resentments to avoid emotional overload.
- Practice mindfulness by staying present in the moment.
- Reach out to someone who understands and supports you.
"You are not required to attend every argument you're invited to."
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober during the festive season? Johnny Lawrence tackles this head-on in a Christmas Eve special of The Self Development Podcast. With his signature blend of humour and honesty, Johnny offers a survival toolkit for navigating the emotional minefield that can be family gatherings. He acknowledges that while Christmas can be magical for some, for others, it feels like a battlefield, with family members knowing just which buttons to push.
Johnny's toolkit is filled with practical strategies: from having pre-prepared answers to those triggering questions ("Are you still single?") to the simple yet profound act of walking away when it all becomes too much. He emphasises the importance of letting go of resentments that simmer beneath the surface and practicing mindfulness without needing to transform into a zen master.
Listeners are encouraged to have something to look forward to beyond the holiday chaos and to reach out to someone who 'gets it'—that friend who lets you rant without judgment. The episode wraps up with a reminder that joy is medicinal and not to be underestimated. Whether it's playing with the dog or laughing at old jokes, finding moments of joy is crucial. This episode is a compassionate reality check for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the festive season.
It’s about taking care of yourself first and remembering that you don't have to fix your family this Christmas. So, what's in your survival toolkit for the holidays?