Ending Holiday Stress
You might remember the day Santa Claus brought you your first
bicycle. It had green handlebars and seemed to shine under the
Christmas tree lights. It was hard to believe that the present
of your dreams had actually arrived. You knew you'd always
remember it as the best Christmas ever.
Fast forward a few years. It's Christmas week, and you're a
basket case. You don't think you'll ever be able to finish all
the shopping, the wrapping, and the decorating in time for the
big day. You also have visits to make, cards to send, and
donations to mail out. You are dealing with full-fledged
Christmas stress, and it shows no signs of abating.
The stress of the holiday season can be trying in the best of
circumstances. But if you're dealing with other major stressors,
such as the recent death of a loved one, holiday stress can seem
unbearable. You might be so tense that you cannot enjoy any
holiday-related activities. You might snap at your children or
your spouse, and you might find yourself unable to focus at work.
There are many causes of holiday stress. To begin with, you
might be striving to fulfill unrealistic expectations. You might
have a perfect postcard view of the holidays--a vision that no
human being could expect to realize. Your impressions of
holidays might have been formed by the movies, where families
gather around a tree and sing Christmas carols in perfect
harmony.
Another common cause of holiday stress is having too many
people on your Christmas list. You might expect yourself to buy
for not only members of your immediate family, but also for
teachers, friends, distant relatives, and co-workers. You don't
want to leave anyone out, so you create a list that even Santa
Claus would find difficult to fill.
You might also be suffering from the stressed-out host
syndrome. You might have been elected to hold Christmas
festivities at your house, and you're panicked. You're striving
to decorate the house, trim the tree, grocery shop, bake
cookies, and prepare fudge. You don't know when you'll have time
to string the lights in front of your house, or to mount the
Christmas cards on the fireplace.
Family members might be contributing to your stress. Your
children might be demanding the latest video games, even though
you're budget will never accommodate them. Your mate might be
demanding that you increase your share of the holiday chores.
Your parents might be demanding to stay a week or more at your
house, creating further tension for your household.
The fact is, you can enjoy the holidays while reducing your
stress level considerably. This begins with engaging in some
pre-holiday planning. Write a list of your goals for the
holidays. What do you really want to accomplish this year? What
can you realistically do on your own, and what will you need
help with? Putting your aims in writing can help to give you
some peace of mind.
It's also important that you set your own agenda for the
holidays. Don't let other people dictate the agenda for you. In
this way, you can ensure that your needs are met, before you
attempt to fulfill the needs of others. Chances are, your goals
are not to buy presents for everyone you've ever met or to get
out every decoration you've ever owned. Rather, your goal is
probably to have a safe, festive holiday where you, your family
and friends can enjoy the festivities. Realizing what your true
goal is, and mapping out a way to get there, can help to reduce
your stress.
There is no denying that holidays make additional demands on
your time. However, through appropriate time-management
techniques, you can work to ensure that you are not overwhelmed
by responsibilities. If you have a difficult task to face,
consider enlisting the aid of family and friends. Sharing the
load can reduce your stress level remarkably. Also, you have to
strike the idea that you must have the perfect holiday. Instead,
strive to create a holiday that's good enough...good enough to
make you smile...good enough to bring joy to your loved ones.
Also, spend at least part of your holiday preparations doing
some good for someone in need. You'll find the experience
rewarding--and it should help you to better cope with holiday
demands.