Managing Holiday Stress
Holidays are the time of year to seduce the senses and bolster
the bonds between family and friends. But even the hardiest of
revelers can succumb to holiday stress. Fret not, you weary
holiday warriors. Below are tips for managing holiday stress.
These holiday stress tips include ways to stay organized, ways
to volunteer your time, decorate, shop, cook, and even write
cards - all the while making your health and happiness top
priorities.
Time Management Tips to Minimize Stress: Stress and depression
often go hand in hand. It is estimated that 10 percent of the
population experiences depression triggered by stress. You can
minimize these unwanted effects by controlling time spent on
holiday chores. -Set limits. Don't try to do everything in one
day or one weekend. Map out your holiday schedule, decide how
much you can do at any given time and stick with it. Don't
forget to ask for help if needed. -Take time for yourself. It's
easy to get burdened with a to-do list but while writing down
your To-Dos, remember to pencil in time for relaxation and daily
rest. Complete a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Take a walk, a nap
or a long, hot bubble bath. These little mental and physical
breaks are quick pick-me-ups that will rejuvenate you. -Help
others. If you have the time, volunteer. If you have the money,
cut a check. Helping those less fortunate than you can lift your
spirits and remind you what the holidays are about. Suggested
organizations include the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell
Run, the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation, Meals on Wheels, or
even helping the Red Cross with the hurricane victims. Your
available time and/or money will dictate whether your benevolent
efforts are small or grandiose. -Remember what's important.
Holidays are about family, friends and your religious beliefs,
not about who got what gift. Take part in events that make you
feel good and say no the others. -Skip the holiday spirits.
Alcohol, a depressant, can dampen your mood. It can affect
sleep, increase stress, and exacerbated existing medical
conditions. -Laugh out loud. Remember to enjoy yourself. In
fact, make it the number one priority. Laughter is excellent
therapy for holiday stress. Even giggles can relax muscles,
boost circulation and help dissolve stress. -Make compromises.
If time is getting the best of you, skip the card writing.
Instead, multitask your holiday well-wishes. Grab your
hands-free headphone and call your friends to wish them happy
holidays. Talking to friends and family will boost your spirits.
If you still want to send cards, get printed ones to save time.
-Don't create a financial burden. Don't cause added worry and
stress by overspending. Simplify gift giving. Ask family members
to do a grab-bag gift exchange. Or forego the gift exchange
altogether. Enjoy less expensive entertainment by driving to
decorated houses or going to free concerts.
Tone Down the Decor: Twinkling lights and poinsettias sprinkled
throughout the house and home do wonders for the holiday
spirits. However, doing the "Christmas Threw Up On My House"
type of over-decorating will push you over the edge. Here are a
few tips to help the Griswald in you from going overboard. -Go
artificial. You can buy an artificial tree with the lights
already attached. Places like Wal-Mart and The Home Depot will
put a tree together for you. To spruce up a room, use artificial
wreaths, garland, poinsettias, and holly branches. They won't
need watering and won't drop needles, which saves time on
maintenance and clean-up. - For many people, going artificial is
almost sacrilegious. If you must have a live tree, take the
stand with you. Ask the handler to set the tree in the stand
then load and go. -Lay on lights. If you're lighting the
outside, use the ones that lay like a blanket and drape them
over bushes and trees. - Better yet, check your local paper for
people advertising to string your lights for a fee. This service
is becoming quite popular as time becomes more valuable. If you
can't find a company to string your lights, hire a neighborhood
boy or girl to do the job. -Hang together. If you're having a
get-together, ask everyone to bring a decoration for the tree.
The tree will be trimmed in no time. -Seek simplicity. Go
minimalist. Try a grouping of candles at different lengths.
Switch your regular couch pillows with holiday ones.
Ways To Work In Your Workout: Between stuffing the bird and
trimming the tree, life gets a bit busy during the holiday
season. Don't let the holiday crunch take its effect on your
exercise regime. Your workouts will help burn the extra calories
you will most likely consume and it will also help ward off the
seasonal depression and stress. Here are a few ways to get your
exercise in; - Take three 10-minute workouts during the day
instead of trying to chisel out a full 30 minute workout. A 2004
study published in "Medicine & Science in Sports" showed that
three 10-minute runs during the day actually resulted in more
total calories burned than a single 30-minute run. -Exercise
with a friend. If you exercise with a friend, you're more likely
not to break your commitment. Use the time to catch up, vent,
release stress. -Walk during your child's sport event. Walking
around the gym or field during your child's sports practice or
event will help you burn more calories than sitting on the
bleachers. -Don't park near the door. Whether it's at home or
the mall, parking further away can help. Those additional steps
do add up during a day of shopping.
Managing the Diet During the Holidays: Avoiding high calorie
holiday foods is often difficult. But don't have post-holiday
regret by overeating now. Follow these simple guidelines to
avoid temptation. -Set sensible goals. Set a realistic limit on
how much you will eat and drink before you go out. Limit your
visits to the buffet table and how many items you'll get.
Remember to praise yourself afterward for keeping your promises.
-Eat in before you head out. Eating a healthy meal before you
leave home for a holiday party will prevent you from overeating.
You'll also be able to focus on family and friends. -Don't
mingle near food trays. Try to stay away from tables loaded with
hors d'oeuvres or candies and snacks. -Bring your own. See if
you can bring a veggie tray or something else nutritious for you
to snack on. -Inform gift-givers. Let family and friends know
that you do not want food as a gift. If they ignore your wishes,
you can always give the foods to a homeless shelter. -Just say
"No." It may be difficult to do, but if the host offers you
seconds, politely but simply decline their offer. -Remove food
altogether. Instead of meeting friends and family at a home, try
getting together at a holiday concert, theatre, museum, or
sporting event.
Shop Smart to Relieve Holiday Stress: Instead of walking
aimlessly from store to store, follow these do's and don'ts so
gift browsing doesn't lose its luster. -Do browse at home. Visit
Web sites or review catalogs of your favorite stores. Make a
list of items you want to purchase, call ahead to see if the
item is in stock, and have the salesperson hold it for you.
Better yet, order by phone or online and save yourself a trip.
-Do map it out. If you are going to numerous stores, set a
course of action and stick to it. List where you need to go and
what items you need for each store. -Don't procrastinate.
Joining the mayhem of Christmas shoppers between Dec. 10 and
Christmas Eve will only add to your stress, and you'll probably
spend a lot of time on your feet in long lines. You should plan
ahead, start early, and shop at a leisurely pace. Stores are
less crowded early or late on weekdays. -Don't shop the mall.
Scarce parking spots and long lines can make the mall a very
stressful and unfriendly place. Try to visit main street style
shops or open air shopping areas. Parking is usually plentiful,
you can visit multiple shops, and you can get some fresh air in
between. -Don't lose your cool. Don't beat yourself up if you
can't find exactly what you are looking for. Remember, it's the
thought that counts.
Managing Mealtime: Although a home-cooked meal is probably a
tradition at your home, long hours over a hot stove can take its
toll. Cut down on cooking time and holiday stress by starting a
few new traditions. -Offer a buffet. Why lug all the dishes from
the kitchen to the table? Make it a buffet. Line up plates,
food, then utensils and napkins. Your guests will enjoy not
having to mess with utensils while filling up their plates.
-Make it a potluck. Why do you have to do all the cooking? Ask
friends and family if they can bring a certain dish to share.
-Go disposable. Washing dishes doesn't have to be part of the
tradition. Use disposable and inexpensive cooking tins. Dixie's
Stoneware even offers decorative dining plates and bowls. -Order
out. Leave food preparation to someone else. Local caterers and
grocery stores can provide dishes or entire meals.
Go Online For Gifts This Holiday Season: This year, shop in your
underwear to sidestep holiday stress. Shopping on the Web saves
time and energy that's traditionally spent schlepping from store
to store. It's never been easier to find a rare collectible or a
sweet sentiment to send to someone over the holidays. Online
gift guides and Web-based catalogs provide a clearing-house of
gifts that allow you to bookmark a gift idea to come back to
later. This further simplifies online searches and purchases.
Comparison shopping is much easier online too so aside from
saving time, you may also save money by hitting the Web instead
of hitting the mall.
Finally, just remember to do what you can to prevent stress from
wrecking your holidays. Remember to stop and rest, especially at
the first sign that you've overdone it. Be sure to enlist help
if needed. Taking time to relax, whether it's listening to music
or soaking in a hot tub, will help you better cope with the
holidays. And above all, have a happy, healthful and blessed
holiday season.