The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But for a lot of us they also carry something heavier underneath. A missing. A quiet ache that does not go away just because the decorations are up and the music is playing.

In this episode Marilyn gets deeply personal about losing her mom on Christmas Eve morning and what the holidays have looked like in the years since. She talks honestly about why grief feels louder during the holidays, why it can rush back years later even when we thought we had found some peace, and why missing someone is not a sign that we have not healed. It is a sign that we loved deeply.

This episode is not about getting through the holidays. It is about giving ourselves permission to grieve and celebrate at the same time. Because both are allowed. And we do not have to choose.

In this episode:

• Why the holidays amplify grief in a way that almost nothing else does
• What the first holiday without someone we loved actually feels like
• Why grief can rush back years later and why that does not mean something is wrong with us
• Why grief and joy are not mutually exclusive and how to hold both at the same time
• How to use the bubble method when grief shows up unexpectedly in the middle of a celebration
• Six practical and specific ways to carry grief through the holidays with a little more grace

This week’s takeaway:

Missing someone during the holidays is not a sign that we have not healed. It is a sign that we loved them. Give yourself permission to grieve and celebrate at the same time. Feel it. Name it. Say their name. And know that the missing is just love with nowhere to go right now.

If you are struggling:

Grief can be heavy and you do not have to carry it alone. Please reach out to someone you trust. And if you are in crisis or feeling unsafe please reach out for help right away.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 anytime day or night. Free confidential support is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Come join the conversation:

You are always welcome in our free Facebook community Put it in a Bubble Private Bubble. Find us at MarilynBarker.com.

Connect with Marilyn:

www.MarilynBarker.com

Hashtags:

#PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #HolidayGrief #GriefAndTheHolidays #YouAreNotAlone #MissingYou #MindsetShift #MentalWellness #GriefSupport #HolidayHealing #SayTheirName #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #PermissionToGrieve #BlowItAway

The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But for a lot of us they come loaded with stress, complicated family dynamics, financial pressure, exhaustion, and a quiet grief for the people and moments we have lost along the way.

In this episode Marilyn gets honest about her own experience with holiday stress and shares the real practical strategies she uses to protect her peace when the holidays get complicated. Not generic advice. Actual tools you can put into action before, during, and after the hard moments.

Because how the holidays feel for you matters just as much as how they look to everyone else. And you are allowed to do things differently this year.

In this episode:

• Why the holidays are genuinely complicated for so many people and why that is okay to admit
• The reality of navigating difficult family dynamics and how to go in prepared
• The grief and longing that sit quietly underneath the holiday season for a lot of us
• The financial pressure of the holidays and why it is the thoughtfulness that matters not the price tag
• What to do when the holidays feel lonely even when you are surrounded by people
• How to use the bubble method when the pressure to make everything perfect feels like too much
• Seven specific and actionable coping tools including self talk, button pusher strategies, and exit planning

This week’s takeaway:

You have to do you. Protect your own mind and your own feelings because nobody else is going to do it for you. Go in prepared, have your strategies ready, and give yourself full permission to leave when you need to. How the holidays feel for you matters just as much as how they look to everyone else.

Come join the conversation:

Come talk about this one in our free Facebook community Put it in a Bubble Private Bubble. Find us at MarilynBarker.com.

If you are struggling:

You are not alone and you do not have to face this by yourself. If you are in crisis or feeling unsafe please reach out for help right away.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 anytime day or night. Free confidential support is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Connect with Marilyn:

www.MarilynBarker.com

#PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #HolidayStress #HolidayAnxiety #ProtectYourPeace #MindsetShift #MentalWellness #HolidaySurvivalGuide #RealTalk #FamilyDynamics #HolidayGrief #YouAreAllowed #GrowthMindset #DoTheHolidaysYourWay #BlowItAway

Most of us assume that what holds us back is the fear of failing. But for a lot of people the real fear runs deeper than that. It is the fear of what happens if we actually succeed. What if people expect more? What if we cannot sustain it? What if we do not deserve it?

In this episode Marilyn gets honest about one of the most common but least talked about things that keeps us playing small. The fear of our own potential. She walks us through why we self-sabotage, how procrastination and self-doubt show up right before a breakthrough, and what we can actually do to stop letting fear make every decision.

This is not about pretending fear does not exist. It is about learning to move forward anyway. Because playing small does not protect us. It just keeps us from the life we actually want.

In this episode:

• Why fear is normal and even helpful in some situations but destructive when it runs unchecked
• The real reason so many of us play small and why it is often not about failure at all
• How self-sabotage shows up in our personal lives and our careers without us realizing it
• Why procrastination is avoidance not laziness and what to do about it
• How to use the bubble method when self-doubt shows up right before a breakthrough
• Six practical ways to stop letting fear of your own potential hold you back

This week's takeaway:

The next time we catch ourselves pulling back ask one honest question. Am I afraid of failing or am I afraid of what happens if this actually works? Then take one step in the direction of what we actually want. Just one.

Come join the conversation:

Come talk about this one in our free Facebook community Put it in a Bubble Private Bubble. Find us at MarilynBarker.com.

Connect with Marilyn:

www.MarilynBarker.com

Hashtags:

#PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #FearOfSuccess #StopPlayingSmall #MindsetShift #MentalWellness #ImposterSyndrome #PersonalGrowth #OwnYourPotential #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #YouAreCapable #LetItGo #StopSabotaging #BlowItAway