The holidays are a time of joy, connection, and sometimes, a whole lot of mistletoe pressure. For those who are single, this season can feel bittersweet. Here’s how to not just survive the holidays as a single person but thrive, with tips, advice, and a bit of humor to keep things merry and bright.

Love is an emotion. Much like sadness, joy, anger, excitement, fear, shame and happiness. The more clients I meet in my practice, the clearer it is that the reason we cannot fully experience our feelings or share them is because we cannot name them. It is no wonder that we have difficulty expressing ourselves or getting what we want!

All of us feel sensitive about something. Learning to “toughen up” by taking things less personally can benefit both ourselves and others. We can protect ourselves from pain, feel less self-doubt and we can stop reacting to hurtful comments with defensiveness and anger, which often leads to relationship conflict making it harder to work or live together. So how can we toughen up without becoming hard-hearted?