With the holidays approaching fast, it is safe to say that stress and anxiety levels can easily rise during this time. Maybe it’s the long lines and cranky people you see at the stores, or meet if you have to travel. Maybe you are dreading to see that one family member that always seems to make it a point to ruin your holiday. Maybe the holidays trigger sad moments of lost family or friends? Or maybe its just simply that you don’t see yourself having enough time to get everything done. Whatever the concern, it always seems that the holidays create stress, agitation and anxiety for many. Here are some tips to help keep you ahead of it all: 1) Get organized NOW! Don’t wait until the last minute to get all your tasks done. Formulate the lists you need now, so you don’t find yourself scrambling at the worst time. If you are hosting a party, start to organize the meal, and if you think it may be too much, consider having a pot luck, so the burden doesn’t completely fall upon you. If you are organizing the party on your own, you may even ask for help. Find a responsible family member or friend to help you out. Find the ways to keep the experience upbeat and fun! Staying organized and positive, for me, is very soothing, and can certainly keep the stresses down, that can build up fairly quickly. You DON’T know what will happen that day, and why worry about something that may not happen at all! All bets may be off that day, but staying organized and relaxed beforehand, makes it easier to deal with any stresses that may come up. If you are in a better state before, you will be able to process issues as they come up much easier. 2) If you are dreading to see that “certain someone” in your family who always pushes your high stress button, just think that person may be feeling the same way about you! No family is perfect, so smile and be thankful that you don’t have THREE people you have to deal with. And if you do have three people you aren’t looking forward to seeing, then be happy that you don’t have SIX..and so on. My husband frequently tells me that it could always be worse, and that can’t be more true! Stay positive during this stressful time, since it can make a significant difference for your wellbeing. 3) Families change over the years…that it certain! In my family, we certainly do not have those huge family gatherings anymore. Have you ever heard your family harp on “how it used to be”, and how “its just not the same anymore”? The problem with continuing the harp on “how it was” will only make you miss what you could have today! Stop dwelling on the past and create your own NEW memories! Try to stay present! This past Thanksgiving, we decided to take a cruise instead of cooking at home, and it was an amazing experience! Think of different ideas that would be fun for you, especially, if you are alone. 4) If you can’t be with someone this holiday, remember that we live in a wonderful technological world! You can Skype or FaceTime the ones you love, with only a touch of a button. 5) If the season has got you down and feeling low, consider volunteering! It is not only a great way to feel important, but you can meet some wonderful people along the way. You can join a church organization, volunteer to help the needy, volunteer at your local humane society, or you could join a community play, or book club…for just a few examples. The point is to get out there and be involved with something! Feeling important and needed around the holidays keeps away the blues and warms our hearts. 6) Surround yourself with unconditional love. This means be sure to spend time with people who love you no matter what. This may be a best friend, spouce, or even a pet! When my kids were feeling low one day, I decided to take them to the humane society to play with the kittens there. Nothing is more gratifying than receiving a warm hug from a pet to lift the spirits! Their frowns instantly turned to joy. (Caution..may inspire adoption!) 7) Be sure to be getting plenty of sleep! If there is one thing that makes me cranky and irritable, its not getting enough sleep. Be aware that when stresses are high, your body may need to compensate and need even more sleep. 8) Be sure to stay hydrated. Anxiety and stresses can increase when you are running through your energy quicker and not keeping up with your required daily water intake. Be sure drink AT LEAST half of your body weight in ounces. 9) Give yourself time to relax. Even if you can only afford 5 minutes, TAKE IT! In that five minutes you can breathe, relax your shoulders, meditate, and do some easy stretching. These are all wonderful ways to reduce stress. Any time you have more than five minutes, you can read a book, go for a walk, practice some yoga, or CALL a friend, (don’t text). 10) If going out to the stores for gifts has you stressed, remember that you can always order gifts on line. This definitely alleviates the stresses of finding parking, dealing with long lines, listening to cranky people, and losing precious time. As I say ever so frequently, we have choices, and the choice is ours! We can choose to worry or choose to stay organized. We can choose to grieve over the past, or can choose to be happy for the upcoming holiday. We have the choice to let that “someone” get to us, or we can choose to let their actions go. We can allow the situations to build up, or we can breathe and relax as life gets stressful. Allow yourself to be happy this holiday season! Whether you are in a crowd of 30, or its just you, be thankful for everything and everyone you have in your life, wherever they may be. When you keep a positive mindset, you can change your attitude of “surviving the holidays” to “enjoying the holidays”. Peace and joy to you all this season…XO
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Michelle FalcoMichelle has a BS, E-RYT, YACEP, CHN, CLYL, and Y12SRL. Archives
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