EP.144 - Shagun Sharma - "Gift Your Presence, Not Just Presents”

Ever feel guilty for not feeling festive?The holidays are sold as sparkle and joy — and honestly, it starts in August the moment the gingerbread hits store shelves. The holiday decor floods every aisle...But for many of us, what follows isn’t joy. It’s guilt — spiraling that we’re falling behind and it’s only mid-summer — overstimulation, pressure to spend, perform, and somehow stay grateful while losing our minds.Maybe it’s the Secret Santa gift that assumes your culture (“Indian chai” for the brown girl — like, we like winter pine candles too ).Maybe it’s the small talk that pokes at your job, your relationship, or the kids you don’t have.Maybe it’s hiding your pronouns, your sexuality, or the truth about who you love — just to keep the peace.Maybe it’s the drinks at every gathering — not because you want them, but because refusing feels too complicated when family, tension, and history are on the table.Or maybe it’s that post-holiday crash, when the quiet hits harder than the chaos.This week, founder of Lotus Pathways, Psychotherapist, Shagun Sharma returns to unpack the guilt and obligation so many of us carry- How overstimulation and social fatigue drain our nervous systems- The blurry line between celebration and numbing out- How to prepare for the post-holiday blues — without shameYou don’t owe anyone your sparkle or your performance.Just be present with where you’re at.Tune in. Breathe. Be.Instagram: lotuspathwaysLinktr.ee: lotuspathwaysWebsite: lotuspathwayspsychotherapy.comSupport the showIf you like what you hear please click on "subscribe" or "follow" -  It's free and you will get notified when the newest episodes are posted!  Check us out on Instagram, X, and YouTube @mfupodcast. Give feedback, middle finger recommendations as well as random thoughts to [email protected]. Thank you for listening!In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.