Are you ready to learn how to destress this holiday season? We are smack dab in the middle of it. Many people are scrambling around getting gifts, decorating, and running around for the holidays. My guess is you are one of them. We tend to have more on our plates over the holiday season than any other time of year. The question is, are you doing too much, or more than you need to do? What do you think you could ease up on or let go of? Here are some tips to help you destress.
Decorate less to destress
Do you tend to go overboard with the decorations? Or maybe you feel like you have to have the perfect holiday décor. I’d first ask, what is perfect? Perfect in whose mind? Did you ever think that most people would not notice or not care that you have decorated less? Sometimes, less is more. Simple can be elegant. So perhaps you might want to put out less than you had in the previous years. It is also typically more fun to do the decorating than to take it down. That is something else to consider
Take a year off from holiday cards
Maybe you send out cards, maybe you don’t. Most people are not going to be aware that they did not get a card from you. You might also want to consider how many people actually send you cards. Do you get one from everyone you send one to? Or perhaps you want to consider cutting down your list. Are there people on the list that you don’t have any contact with during the rest of the year? If that is the case, a simple way to destress is to either send out fewer cards, or skip it all together.
Focus on time with loved ones
We tend to spend more time with family and friends this time of the year. That is where the real riches come in. It’s about enjoying these people you love and being around them. They most likely don’t care about the level of decorating of your house or all the food you might have around. Be with them and enjoy.
Skip some of the holiday parties
My guess is that you have plenty of celebrations you could go to. Are there some that are really unnecessary, or that you don’t want to go to as you have too much on your plate? If so, let them know you already have another engagement. That engagement may be a night with Netflix, but no one needs to know that.
Take care of yourself
This is the best thing you can to do destress as this time of year can wear out even the energizer bunny. What is it that you need to do to recharge your batteries? Do you like to meditate, do yoga, exercise, read, play an instrument or create something? What fills you up? Whatever it is, be sure to do that as a way to keep yourself centered.
Don’t overextend yourself monetarily
Of course you want to give to the people you love. Remember you don’t need to break the bank to do so. We don’t want you to be remorseful or kicking yourself in the pants when the bills come in. Remember giving may also be your time or talents. If you are a good baker, then giving someone some baked goods is enough. People understand that you might not have the resources to give. It may be that all you can do is make someone a card with a kind note in it. My guess is that a kind note will be more cherished than a purchased gift. Some people save cards, so those kind words may be priceless.
Get help from others
Do all the holiday activities fall in your job description? Are you the person who tends to do it all? How about asking for help from your partner, spouse or kids? Most people are willing to help if they know what to do. Can someone else help you wrap the gifts? If you are married can your partner be in charge of the gifts on his or her side of the family? Is there anyone else who can do some of the baking, cooking or cleaning? Do you have to be a super person and do it all on your own? Ask for help and when you get it, give the person a specific task.
Avoid those who cause you stress
Is someone trying to guilt you in to do something you don’t want to do? Keep your boundaries in check. Remember your boundaries are to protect you, no one else. Is there a family member who always gets under your skin? If so, try to spend as little time with that person as possible. If they are at the same event, you can try to be as engaged as possible with others. This is another way you can destress.
Go to therapy
These are some simple ways to destress. I’m sure there are many other ways that you can think of too. If this is a challenge for you, whether it is during the holiday season or other time of the year, please give me a call at 713-304-6554 and we can come up with a personalized plan to help you destress.
Take care,
Debbie
