The Holidays are just around the corner. Possibly you’re already feeling the stress – families gathering for Thanksgiving, round-the-clock food preparation, polishing the silver, and making everything perfect. Then there is Christmas only 31 days after Thanksgiving. No wonder your stress levels are creeping up.
Our friends at WebMD have some great tips for reducing your stress throughout the season.
Do a little planning
- Set a spending limit.Money is a huge stressor during the holidays. How about setting a budget and sticking to it? You’ll be glad in January when you aren’t getting huge credit cards bills.
- Give something personal. Show love and caring with the meaningful gift of thanks. Letting someone know how much you care about them can be done with words instead of an expensive gift. Possibly your words are attached to a homemade gift.
- Work your calendar. Make lists or use an appointment book to keep track of tasks to do and events to attend.
- Share your tasks with other people and make it fun. How about spending time with family or friends and accomplish your tasks in a group? Wrapping gifts, decorating, and even cooking is more fun when you share the task.
- The art of saying “no.” First realize that you don’t have to accept every invitation that comes your way. Be selective and say "yes" to events that you do want to attend. Turn down invitations by saying “I already have plans for that evening.” You don’t have to explain that those plans are for staying home wrapping gifts.
- Be realistic.Don’t put pressure on yourself to create the perfect holiday for your family. Focus instead on the traditions that make holidays special for you. And remember that just because it's a holiday, family problems don't go away. If you have a hard time being around your relatives, it's okay to set limits on your time at events and visits.
Take Care of yourself
Okay, you can’t create a totally stress free Holiday season. You can make some plans for dealing with the stress that arrives uninvited.
- Break time.When the crowd gets to be too much, spend some time by yourself. A few minutes with your feet up, a nice hot shower, a short walk, meditation, or even relaxation breathing could be the break you need.
- Stick to your regular schedule. Limit your alcohol. Staying as close as possible to your normal schedule is great for reducing your stress. Leaving the alcohol out of the mix can be helpful as well.
- Ask for support. Depression is sometimes triggered during the Holidays. Circumstances like the death of a loved one or a breakup in a relationship can be especially hard during the Holidays. Consider getting help with your emotions. Talk with your doctor about counseling and medicine for depression.
Dean and Draper
If one of your stresses is over your insurance, we can certainly help you. Use our expertise to get your insurance questions answered so you can scratch that item off of your list. Contact us.
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