Podcast graphic of episode 8 with the characters Olli Schmidt and Dagmar Cassiers
Psyche
19.12.2025 Isabel Hempel 12307

Episode 8: Stress-free holidays with the family

Christmas, the festival of love. It often leads to excessive demands, arguments and frustration under the Christmas tree. How can we get through the holidays without a crisis? In the podcast, therapist Dagmar Cassiers gives tips on how you can plan Christmas in such a way that there is less potential for conflict.

Many people feel a huge amount of pressure or a guilty conscience in the run-up to Christmas: Do I have to go home again or can I just escape on vacation? How will the children behave under the gaze of their grandparents? What to do with the emotions that boil over when criticism or differences of opinion arise?

We talk to Dagmar Cassiers about:

  • What expectations are there and how do I deal with them?
  • What are the classic topics that often cause arguments at Christmas?
  • How can I have a controversial discussion without it turning into an argument?
  • What communication rules should everyone follow?
  • How can I deal with a simmering conflict or difficult issues?

Cheerful to stormy - the everyday podcast with Olli Schmidt

Welcome to "Heiter bis stürmisch" - the everyday podcast with Olli Schmidt. Cheerful or saddened to death: life has ups and downs.

That's what we're all about: everyday crises such as arguments with your partner, parenting issues, stress at work, insecurities and anxiety. We talk to experts and give you practical tips to help you deal better with crises and challenges.

You can listen to our podcast on all known podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible etc.)!

Questions, suggestions, criticism, wishes? Feel free to write to us at: podcast@familienservice.de

zero Write down positive thoughts: Never brood again

Woman writes in diary
Body & Soul
15.01.2024 Christin Müller 19207

Write down positive thoughts: Never brood again

When winter just won't end, it can really put a damper on your mood. In such phases, we often forget the positive moments that keep us going.

We would rather brood over negative things that have failed, upset or hurt us. However, positive thoughts are not only better for our well-being, they also help us sleep much better. Our health expert Petra Dinkelacker has a really good tip on how to change your mindset in the long term by writing down your positive experiences.

Store good experiences and ensure a lasting sense of well-being

Writing things down can help us to better remember positive experiences. By writing things down, we can determine over time which approach helps us to develop things in a positive direction and which strategies we should develop in the future.

This is how it works:

  • Get yourself a nice book and a nice pen that you use for the sole purpose of jotting down your thoughts.
  • Take five minutes before going to bed. That's often all it takes.
  • Now write down your successes and positive experiences of the day and ask yourself the following questions:
    ​​​​​​​
    • What worked well for me today?
    • How did I manage it or what did I do to ensure that it went well?

Think about three things and answer these two questions for each of them.

Plan to practise this method for at least three weeks and write down your experiences. If it doesn't work on one day, don't put yourself under pressure. Revisit your thoughts later or skip a day. But keep going and leaf back through your book from time to time to see what insights you can derive from it.

I wish you many positive thoughts!

Health impulses with our 5-minute exercises

Our 5-minute exercises give you ideas for more relaxation, balance, activity and feel-good moments in your everyday work and private life. They are not a substitute for professional help from counselors and psychologists.

Please seek professional advice, for example from life coaching (Link opens in a new window) ( Link opens in a new window) , if you are permanently depressed, suffer from persistent excessive stress and have deeper mental problems.