The holidays often bring joy — and stress. In this episode, I share three practical principles for staying present, letting go of expectations, and remembering what truly matters when spending time with family. Then, I also share a short practice to help you embody peace during the holiday season.

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or mentally “always on”?

At The Joy Within, we call this The Slow Burn: the constant, low-level tension that creeps in when the mind is overloaded, and slowly chips away at your energy, clarity, and joy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- What The Slow Burn really is (and why it hides in plain sight)

- The subtle signs you’ve been carrying too much

- How your inner story—not your circumstances—is driving the stress

- How to begin shifting out of stress using The Path of Alignment

- 5 reflection questions to help you identify your #1 stress source

By the end, you’ll understand exactly how to recognize this pattern in your own life — and what to do next to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control.

👉 Take the free 7-Day Reset tointerrupt stress and reset your system in just a few minutes a day: https://thejoywithin.org/reset

👉 Take the Self-Assessment to identify how Unconscious Unhappiness is showing up in your life: https://thejoywithin.org/unconscious-unhappiness

👉 Learn more about The Path of Alignment: https://thejoywithin.org/path-of-alignment

In today's episode, Kyle walks through the Path of Alignment, a framework for transforming reactive stress into grounded clarity. You’ll learn how to reset your mindset, detach from negative patterns, shift your self-talk, and update limiting beliefs so you can act from a place of authentic joy.

Next Steps:

1. Take a 2-minute self-assessment: https://thejoywithin.org/start-here
2. Get started with a free 7-Day Reset: https://thejoywithin.org/join