Staying Calm and Connected: Mindful Strategies for Meaningful Holiday Conversations
The holiday season is a time of joy and laughter, offering us the chance to spend quality time with family and friends. As work responsibilities tend to wane, we find more space to connect with one another, reflect on the year, and set our hopes and intentions for the new year.
Much of the joy and meaning of the holidays come from time spent with loved ones. However, despite the potential for positive interactions, family gatherings can sometimes lead to difficult conversations. This has always been true, and recent events, like the election and other current issues, may increase the likelihood of challenging discussions, even with those we cherish deeply, let alone those we see out of familial obligation.
The application of mindfulness insights offers a way to cultivate more amicable and fulfilling interactions with others, even when we disagree on important issues. On the evening of November 4, Dan Harris, former ABC News correspondent, host of Nightline, and co-host of the weekend edition of Good Morning America, visited the University of Miami School of Law to participate in a Fireside Chat sponsored by the Miami Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program. During a 45-minute conversation with law school Dean Patricia Sanchez Abril, Harris and Abril explored ways of creating more meaningful exchanges, both with others and with oneself.