Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #16 – Plan Ahead

There’s a saying that goes…”those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” While that may be a bit harsh and simplistic, there is some truth to it. From those holiday meals, to gift giving, to all those social events, there’s not a lack of opportunity to plan ahead. And planning can help take some stress off your plate. Here’s some ideas for how to best plan ahead this holiday season:

• Group your errands by location so that you only have to go to the other side of town (or the mall) once.
• Write out your grocery list by aisle, so you don’t have to skim a list of haphazardly written down items and miss something.
• Tell friends and family that in order to attend all the events you want to this season, you can only stay for a set amount of time at their event.

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #15 – Declare a Worry-Free Holiday

Okay, this one might be easier said than done. But think about how much worrying about the holidays affects you. From your attitude, to your health and well-being. We tend to worry about things that haven’t happened yet (and likely won’t ever happen) and about things out of our control (like what others are going to do, say, or think).

But all that worrying takes a toll, not on WHAT or WHO you’re worrying about…but YOU. Worrying excessively can lead to missing out on what’s going on right now because you’re so focused on the future. It can also lead to sore muscles, headaches, and a slew of other physical issues.

So this season, commit yourself to worrying less and enjoying more.

Photo: Denise Over The Holidays – 2005 © by Rob Boudon

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #14 – Help a Sistah (or Brutha) Out

The holiday season is prime time for helping those in more need than you. And there’s no shortage of opportunities to lend a hand, give some money, or spend some time helping. Consider volunteering your time and/or money this season. There are so many benefits to volunteering, both to those who receive and those who give. It shouldn’t be hard to find these opportunities. Check with your local churches, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, homeless shelters, etc. Getting involved and helping others can be a great way to lift your spirits, make new acquaintances, and maybe start a new holiday tradition.

 Photo: feeding hungry people is beautiful; it is art © by skampy

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #13 – Ask for Help

There’s no shame in asking for help when you really need it. Since there always seems to be more to do than time to do it in at this time of year, you’ll probably have ample opportunity to ask for some help in getting things done. Plus, most people like to help and feel needed, but aren’t sure what to do unless you ask them.

It’s best to be specific in your request when asking for help, telling people WHAT you need and the TIME involved. When things are vague, people are more hesitant to say yes. Here’s an example:

Instead of “Can you help me with the holiday dinner?” which is vague and doesn’t tell people what you really need, try “I need help preparing the holiday dinner. Can you cut the vegetables and peel the potatoes? It should take maybe 15 minutes, but would sure save me a lot of time.”

Of course, there could be a lot of things you need help with, from decorating, to running errands, gift shopping, gift wrapping, etc. Pick something and go ask someone to help you with it.

Photo: christmas dinner. © by allison.hare

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #12 – Less is More

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the message of consumption during the holidays. Not only gifts, but decorations, food, drink, social events, etc. The idea of more, more, more is all around us.

Remember that simplicity is a good rule of thumb, at this (or any time) of the year. Also think of what the mindset of having more, doing more, and being more is doing, not only to your attitude, but also to your wallet. What will all this “more” that you create now do for you in the coming weeks and months? Is that a price you’re willing to pay? Now think of what cutting back a little now will do for you both now and in the long run.

The choice is up to you. How much more (or less) are you going to create this holiday season?

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #11 – Rest and Be Merry

What good are you going to be to anyone (including yourself) if you run yourself ragged? One thing we sometimes do when there is more to do is forego sleep to get it all done. But when you sacrifice rest, it can have some significant and undesirable consequences. You can become irritable, lose your focus easily, have difficulty completing tasks, be more vulnerable to illness, and the list goes on.

Do yourself a favor and make it a point of getting your optimal amount of sleep each night (from 7 to 9 hours). If something has to go because you just have too much on your to-do list, find something else to sacrifice.