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Monday, 10 March 2008 01:00 |
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The holidays will be here before you know it. Clear the way for
greater joy, love and meaning this year by busting these sources
of holiday stress:
1. Too much to do in too little time.
*This week, set holiday priorities with your family. Discuss
what traditions to keep, which to discard, and which new
traditions to try.
*Make a holiday to-do list NOW and create a realistic schedule
for when to accomplish each item.
*Avoid overscheduling.
*Ask family members for help with holiday tasks.
2. Long lines in stores.
*Shop via catalog or Internet, and avoid stores on weekends if
you can.
*If you"re shopping with small children, take along snacks,
books, toys or other items to make waiting in line more
pleasant. Or, if you"re sufficiently uninhibited, sing a holiday
song with your child.
*If you"re shopping alone, use waiting time to relax and and
center yourself with meditation or prayer. Try directing your
attention to your breathing at your belly. Or practice observing
the people around you through the eyes of compassion, without
judging. Give thanks or pray for healing, peace, or other
concerns close to your heart.
3. Difficult relatives.
*Take some quiet time to develop a plan for taking care of
yourself around relatives who “get your goat.”
*Invest in yourself by using a therapist to help create a plan
to protect your boundaries.
4. Cranky kids.
*Think "low key" for a happy celebration with little ones.
Remember that your small child thrives on your undivided
attention and has a limited capacity to adjust to adult "needs"
to hurry.
*Protect your child"s naptime and playtime.
*Spend floor-time with your child every day.
5. Commercialism.
*Create family traditions that involve giving to those in need.
*Focus on low-cost or no-cost holiday traditions.
*Help keep children"s expectations realistic. For example, you
might say You"ll get about the same amount of presents as you
did on your birthday.
6. Bills!
*Decide on a holiday budget for entertaining and gifts.
* If credit cards make overspending too easy, stick to cash for
holiday purchases.
7. Loss.
* If you have lost a loved one, the holidays may intensify your
grief. Explore ways to cope at
www.griefnet.org/library/articles/hfa-tips.html or
www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=FL00055.
*If holiday blues persist or seem particularly intense, don"t
hesitate to reach out for professional help. Your physician or
clergyperson can give you a referral.
8. Post-holiday let-down.
*Spread out the fun at least through the end of school vacation
by planning an outing or a fun time at home for each day.
*Have a party and finish your leftover holiday sweets the night
before school resumes.
A little forethought and planning can go a long way towards
making you glad the holidays are coming - instead of just glad
when they"re over. Your wisdom holds the key to holiday joy.
© 2004 Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC
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