Dial Down the Stress: Avoid the Demands of the Holidays

Every year, I look forward to the day when Starbucks brings back the festive, red holiday cups. In my mind, that is the official kick off to the holiday season, my favorite time of the year! I get really excited about Black Friday, Christmas music, and all the parties and get-togethers. While the holiday season is supposed to be fun, it can also be extremely stressful. There is a reason why November is National Stress Awareness Month!

Kelly Walsh, 20 year human resource veteran, president of 1SmartLife and author of the Teeter Totter Conundrum, explains why our stress reaches new levels during the holidays: we spend too much money, we have an unclear relationship (what do I buy for my “it’s complicated significant other?”), we dread the difficult relatives,  and just generally stress over how to fit it all in before the actual holiday gets here.

While all of the above is very true, the holidays don’t necessarily have to be a stressful time. Kelly also gives us the scoop on a few ways to dial down the anxiety this holiday season:

• Don’t expect a “holiday miracle”…let it be a really enjoyable day without the pressure of very high expectations from others or yourself

• Spend less…did you know that most people can’t even remember what they bought or received two months after the holiday?  Keep it simple and thoughtful for most impact

• Boundaries…families often cross our well placed boundaries on the holidays.  Stay strong if guilt trips or nagging is wearing you down.  Make your choices and stick to them.  You are training people how to treat you.

• Simplify…what we really want is connectedness.  Extravagance and excess is a choice not a necessity.

• Ease up…your family isn’t perfect and neither are you.  It’s okay to acknowledge and celebrate that some of you are different

• Take care of you…determine ahead of time what you really want for yourself so you have a better chance of getting your needs met…all too often we focus on everyone but ourselves and end up exhausted and let down.  Remember to treat yourself too!