Life Coach Jenn A. Nocera: Family Dynamics & the Holidays

Is this the accurate description of your family holiday gathering? “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” Oh yeah, Charles Dickens nailed the vision of family dynamics during the holidays. Bonus points if you know the origin of the quote. The holidays are here, and it can be the most wonderful time of the year – or not. Families are highly complex units that are bonded by strong emotions. Three important parts of a family dynamic are assigned roles, inherited patterns of behavior, and unspoken rules. These help determine everyone's general sense of health, happiness, and stability, and within each family can be found good and bad aspects of the dynamic. If you want to have a happier and less stressful holiday experience, consider modifying your role in the dynamic by understanding some key issues such as needs, emotions, flexibility, and perspective. Each of these issues can be either a hot button or an implement of change for the better. Life Coach Jenn A. Nocera of Formula for Excellence will expand on these issues and we’ll offer some options to make this holiday season truly “the best of times.” After the interview, please check out After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live for additional information.