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.

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #10 – Pencil in Some “Me” Time

Don’t accept every holiday social invitation you receive. It’s tempting to want to please everybody and not hurt others’ feelings. But if you spread yourself too thin, it’s you who is going to suffer.

Give yourself some evenings off to relax, enjoy some down time, and take in the blessings of the season. It’s okay to take a break. And it might just be the best “present” you could receive this holiday season.

Managing Your Stress During the Holidays and Beyond: Tip #9 – Tickle Your Funny Bone

One of the best kept secrets in stress relief is the power of laughter. Laughter helps us by:

• Providing a physical release of tension. Have you ever felt relieved, lighter, less stressed after a good laugh? That’s because your body automatically tenses and releases several muscles, from your abdominals, shoulders, etc. This tension and release allows our bodies to let go of physical tension, which can lead to a release of emotional tension as well.
• Distracting us from the seriousness we can get focused on when we’re feeling stressed. Have you noticed that when you are overwhelmed or stressed you get more serious?
• Connecting us with others. Laughter can be contagious and create an instant bond between strangers, acquaintances, or friends. Studies show that the more connected we feel with others, the better able we are at dealing with stressful situations.

Where will you find some laughter this holiday season?

Photo: laughter © by gagilas