24/7 provincial toll-free crisis line 18779770007

  • Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters

MAWS provides information only. If you are in danger call 911. If you or someone you know is being abused, call the confidential 24/7 provincial toll-free crisis & support line at: 1-877-977-0007

On Being Gentle & Grateful This Holiday Season

Wishing peace, love, and happiness to all those celebrating in the festivities this holiday season! We at MAWS hope everyone has an opportunity to be surrounded by loved ones, honor the winter solstice, and to show gratitude to those we have in our lives who bring us joy and comfort. 

The holidays can be a magical time and can also be a time of loneliness and sorrow. If the holidays are a source of stress and sadness, try responding lovingly to yourself by listening to how you’re feeling and treating yourself with patience and kindness, knowing that you are so much more than the pain you’re feeling. Be gentle and allow yourself to feel what you feel. “Avoiding your triggers isn’t healing. Healing happens when you’re triggered and you’re able to move through the pain, the pattern, and the story – and walk your way to a different ending” (Katelynn Scannell). 

You may also feel you’re living in the messy, complicated, imperfect in between of joy and sorrow during the holidays. You can take time to be aware and hold all of your feelings, recognize ways to respond instead of react, and transform what’s transformable. Practice transforming what hurts into what helps – take time to discover what isn’t working and ways to make it work better; try putting your feelings on paper, reflect on how you can change those feelings, and resolve to have new experiences. Maybe try experimenting with new traditions and rituals for the holidays; do things differently by letting go of the rituals or traditions that no longer represent who you are and creating new and meaningful ones in their place. Allow yourself to experience your holidays imperfectly; revise your ideas of perfection and increase your capacity for spontaneous joy.

“I stopped telling myself that I’m lost. I’m not. I’m on a road with no destination, I’m just driving with hope that I’ll find a place that I like and I’ll stay there. I’m not lost, I’m on my way” (anonymous).

Merry Christmas and Happy holidays beautiful humans!

Crisis and Help Lines:

Crisis Line (24/7 provincial toll free): 1-877-977-0007 or visit http://www.maws.mb.ca to chat online.

Klinic Crisis Line (24/7 toll free): 204-786-8686 or 1-888-322-3019

Kids Help Phone (24/7 toll free): Call 1-800-55-1800, Text 686868, or contact through Facebook Messenger to reach a trained volunteer crisis responder. 

Manitoba Suicide Line (24/7 toll free): 1-877-435-7170