STRESS? WHAT STRESS?
So as if trying to change the world while having a life weren’t enough of a challenge, we get the end of the year and holidays tied up in a bow for the icing on the stress cake the year has been for so many.
But it doesn’t actually have to be that way. Here are 4 tips to start.
1) Slow down to speed up. I know it sounds odd but slowing down can actually help you get more done that matters. Take just a few minutes. Take a few minutes of quiet alone time. Can’t find any? Some not so secret options – a few minutes alone in the car after you park, a walk around the block, 5 more minutes in the shower. Use the time not to rehearse your to-do list but to meditate or just take 10 deep breaths.
2) Manage expectations. We are surrounded by amazing expectations for perfect relationships, presents perfectly matched to our desires, and even perfect weather from picture-perfect snowstorms with no traffic snarls to sunny beaches for you and your loved ones with no other visitors. Instead of striving for some commercial ideal of perfect, help those around you know what to expect and when.
3) Lighten your load. What really needs to be done? What of that really must be done by you? Identify 3-5 of the things you love about the holidays and ditch, delegate, or delay as much of the rest of your to-do list as you can imagine. And then a little more.
4) Prepare for stupid. And while we can plan a lot, stupid happens. Weather happens. Airlines make mistakes. Relatives don’t behave as we’d hope. Ovens over and under cook. So leave some wiggle room in the schedule and pack a sense of humor wherever you go.
Join me at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST on December 17th for a free Holiday Thrive-al call to learn more ways to de-stress and find more joy in the holiday season. Register here for more information