Holidays and celebrations often come with their own set of obstacles and difficulties. Our idea of a perfect holiday never happens because our own assumptions and unrealistic expectations get in the way and lead to an environment filled with conflict.

In this special Christmas episode, Corrina Gordon-Barnes shows us the groundwork for setting a peaceful and successful holiday season while navigating difficult relationships with relatives or colleagues. 

She guides us through taking off the expectation of a perfect holiday with our family and facing reality in ourselves and others. Corrina talks about the ways you can act within your zone of power to resolve conflict. She also walks us through what we can do during difficult gatherings and how to shift routine actions to create different outcomes.

It’s the season for countless gatherings and reunions. Tune in to improve your strained relationships with relatives and co-workers through empathy and letting go of past assumptions.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn how to make people meet your wants and needs without resorting to manipulation.
2. Discover how to reframe your assumptions and biases about yourself and other people.
3. Find out how to recognise when you’re being difficult and what you can do to resolve the conflict.

Resources

• Check out our Permission to Thrive CPD membership for doctors!
• Get in touch by sending an email: [email protected]
• Connect with Corrina Gordon-Barnes: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
• Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy by Mo Gawdat: Amazon | Website
• Check out our Permission to Thrive CPD membership for doctors
• Find out more about the Shapes Toolkit training, talks, and workshops
• Join the Shapes Collective Facebook group:
• Rachel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-morris/
• Rachel’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrRachelMorris
• Rachel’s email: [email protected]

Episode Highlights

[05:42] Corrina’s Background 

[07:18] Celebrating the Holiday with Difficult Family Members

[09:54] Facing Reality Without Lowering Your Expectations

[13:57] Dealing with Teenagers and Tablets over Christmas

[16:01] How to De-escalate Uncomfortable Conversations 

[19:31] What to Do When Their Answer Is No

[21:21] How to Keep Your Boundaries 

[23:34] Expecting the Pushback and Having Empathy Without Being Patronising

[29:10] Dealing with Difficult Work Relationships

[37:54] Confirmation Bias in Relatives and Work Colleagues 

[39:35] Approach Others by Letting Go of the Past

[42:33] What You Need to Do If You’re the Difficult Person

[46:37] Live with Your Experience of Yourself and Making Allowances

[51:09] Shift the Dance and Change Your Perspective

[52:18] Tips to Deal with Difficult Relatives and Colleagues

[53:06] Rachel’s Takeaways

Mentioned in this episode:

The Anti-Burnout System

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