The WOOP Method to Enjoying the Holidays - It is Proven to Work!
What is the WOOP Method?
And how can it really help you enjoy your holidays? WOOP is a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfill their wishes, set preferences, and change their habits. This can help you enjoy the upcoming holidays and reduce the anger/sadness/frustration that can come up by helping you foresee the obstacles in the way and develop a plan to overcome them. The WOOP method can help you with anything you want in life, not just the upcoming holidays.
How WOOP Can Change Your Life
The WOOP method presents a unique and surprising idea: The obstacles that we think prevent us from fulfilling our wishes can actually help us realize them, specifically by thinking about them ahead of time. People have successfully used this method to realize their dreams. I want you to use it to enjoy the upcoming holidays.
This is how WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) works:
You sit down and think through what you are WISHing for. What is the OUTCOME that you are hoping to get from that wish? Then you think about all of the OBSTACLES that are likely to get in the way of the outcome you want. And finally, you come up with a PLAN in an if/then format.
The most important part is that you do these steps in this order. If you just jump to the plan, or to the obstacles, you will never get to the original wish or outcome you want. You will already start to negate what you are really striving for.
Example:
WISH - I want a "perfect" holiday this year! (It doesn't have to be realistic, thus the term "wish")
OUTCOME - I want to be in the moment and feel accomplished, relaxed, and joyous. I want to celebrate with family, feel their love, and experience the traditions. I want to have fun, laugh, and enjoy our time together.
OBSTACLES - Due to family that is far away, I won't see most in person. There aren't a lot of traditions with the local extended family. The rush to get teacher gifts, gifts for family, and complete work tasks causes stress and rushing around. Even when I'm not rushing around, the to-do list doesn't let me relax.
PLAN - If the day starts to revolve around mindless news, sad recent events, or reverting to our devices, I will bring out the board games and create some fun traditions with my immediate family. I'm carving out two specific days to finish up the shopping (in store and online) and buying a few extra Target gift cards and a package of holiday cards so if I forgot anyone, I have a last-minute backup. If my anxiety increases around my to-do list, I will remind myself that nothing is life or death. If it slips to January - so be it. There isn't a real consequence, just the one I make up in my mind. I will have my Insight Timer app ready for a 3-to-5-minute breathing exercise to help me relax.
The reason why this works so well is because you are already thinking through what could go wrong to ruin your day/holiday, and you are proactively coming up with possible solutions. This way, if the obstacle does come up, you aren't stuck in the emotional reaction that usually occurs when the stress takes over.
You are able to bypass all of the disappointment, sadness, stress, anger, etc. and immediately go to your plan without having to think about it. Because you already did think about it!
I learned about this method in the Science of Well-being course I completed several years ago, and I've seen it work in my life as well as my clients. A few of us recently WOOPed our Thanksgiving plans and we all enjoyed it more because we took the time to go through this method. If you want more information on the method, the link is HERE.
I have no affiliation with this site, but I like to share things that actually work so I am passing it along to all of you.
The cool thing is that it can help you in ALL aspects of your life. It is based on 20 years of research and has helped people reduce stress, increase work engagement, find solutions to problems, improve time management, support weight loss, and sustain healthier relationships.
So grab a pen and spend 10 minutes to WOOP the upcoming holiday. Think through your wish for that day, the outcome you really want, the potential obstacles that can come up, and then write out your if/then plan.
Don't think of this as another thing to do - think of it as a great conversation starter with a friend/partner/colleague, and do it together. With only a few (if any) working days left of the year, this is a great way to get your team on the same page with deliverables.
Life is anything but easy right now. But you don't have to feel stuck or a victim of your circumstances. Why not use a tool that can help? Step into your power and WOOP your holidays (and your life) so that you can actually enjoy it!
If you want to do this with me, I have a few free strategy sessions still open, schedule HERE.
Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday,
Sharon
Stop Procrastinating on the Life You Want
Do something TODAY your future self will thank you for. Register for a Fun, Fresh Start to 2024, a virtual session capturing the magic of January 1st to set intentions. Not half-hearted, disappointing resolutions that you won't achieve - but REAL clarity on what you want in 2024 and a path to get it.
REGISTER HERE
It will be fun, there will be music and laughs, and it will energize you to start the year in a way that feels GOOD. Is it crazy to host an event on January 1st? Maybe. But most of my network spends the day regretting what they ate the past month, anxiously dreading work the next day, and pretending to be excited about the year.
Not this year! Come in your PJs, come hung over, come with a friend - whatever you want! This is YOUR year. Give it a Fun, Fresh Start :)
REGISTER HERE
Date: Jan 1st
Time: 11am ET (60-minute virtual Zoom)
Cost: $49
Includes workbook and helpful tools to take with you
