Seven Tips For A Harmonious Holiday Season
by Sharon Bargas

My childhood memories of the holiday season are warm and happy. I loved stuffing my face with turkey and eating it for the next two weeks, along with anticipating which fantastic Barbie doll I would get to unwrap!

Now, years later, holidays are not quite the same. I’m not the child, but the mother of two children. My siblings are living in different cities now so there is a lot of juggling required to bring everyone together during these hectic occasions. With all of the running around and activities, stress has a tendency to rear its ugly head from time to time.

Is it possible to stay calm and balanced during the holiday season? Prevention Magazine conducted a scientific poll to find out. Forty one percent of those polled owned up to finding Christmas and Hanukkah stressful; rating it right up there with asking the boss for a raise.

As a result of these findings, I decided to gather several parents for an informal survey of my own – also-known-as a therapy session. The group included working mothers, single mothers, stay at home mothers…and fathers. As a group, the consensus was yes, it is possible to stay relatively stress-free during the holiday with the following simple tips.

Seven Tips

• Tip 1

  You can’t do it all! Talk with good friends or family for help juggling activities with the kids or just vent frustrations! Volunteer for the activities you enjoy. No one is keeping track of the overachievers. Be realistic. Does the house need cleaning or decorating? Let each family member be responsible for a room.

• Tip 2

  Be Realistic About Relatives When the in-laws visit this season, have realistic expectations for the short term. If going to a certain relative's house every year causes a lot of holiday stress, decide if you really need to do it. Maybe you can go every other year instead. People should realize that relationships will not change just because it is the holidays. Expectations that family, friends or loved ones will act differently often result in disappointment or can unnecessarily strain a relationship. Look for the good and focus on enjoying that.

• Tip 3

  Humor Helps... Have Fun Laugh daily.

• Tip 4

  Stick to Schedules and Routines In addition to simply getting overstimulated, one of the biggest reasons for meltdowns by infants, toddlers, and preschoolers during the holidays, is that they get off their schedule and become overtired. If at all possible, try to plan your holiday activities around your child's nap. If there are too many kids together to find a place for a nap for everyone; plan a quite time in the middle of the day so they can get some rest.

• Tip 5

  Don't abandon healthy habits Don't let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all. Some indulgence is OK, but overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and schedule time for physical activity.

• Tip 6

  Take a breather Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Steal away to a quiet place, even if it's to the bathroom for a few moments of solitude. Take a walk at night and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm. Rethink resolutions. Resolutions can set you up for failure if they're unrealistic. Don't resolve to change your whole life to make up for past excess. Instead, try to return to basic, healthy lifestyle routines. Set smaller, more specific goals with a reasonable time frame. Choose only those resolutions that help you feel valuable and that provide more than only fleeting moments of happiness.

• Tip 7

  Stay calm When you feel anxiety rising, take a deep breathe and hold it in for a ten count. Slowly release your breathe, then take another deep breath in. Repeat this simple exercise three or four times, until you feel calm again. Remind yourself that you are only one person. You can’t do everything all at once or on your own. If you need help, ask for it. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself calm. If you try any or all of these tips, you will be on your way to creating holidays filled with love, good memories and great experiences. One last thought that everyone felt was a good idea…remember to get a gift for yourself and put it under your tree. It’ll make a wonderful surprise.

Five Signs You Need to Bust Some Holiday Stress

• You're irritable
• You're losing sleep
• You're losing or gaining weight (this can be hard to tell around the holidays — it could just be all the good food)
• You feel tense — with muscle aches or headaches
• You feel overwhelmed

© 2006-2008 Hathaway Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this website
may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission
in writing from the publisher, Hathaway Publishing, Inc.

Omaha Family Magazine
P.O. Box 541156
Omaha, NE 68154
(402) 697-8700
admin@omahafamily.com