The holidays don’t have to be perfect or just like last year.
As families and people change, traditions and rituals often change as well.
Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult family or friends can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.
Plan ahead
Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities.
Plan your menus and then make your shopping list.
That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients.
And if you have a large gathering, make sure to line up help for party or dinner prep and cleanup.
Learn to say no
Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed.
Friends and colleagues will just have to understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity…you come first.
If it’s not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.
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.
Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.
There’s real evidence that certain citrus fragrances boost feelings of well-being and alleviate stress by upping levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that affects mood.
For an all-day pick-me-up, dab a little lemon or orange essential oil on a handkerchief to tuck in your pocket.
Acupressure Point
The fleshy place between your index finger and thumb is called the hegu spot in traditional Chinese medicine.
Applying firm pressure there for just 30 seconds can reduce stress and tension in your upper body.
So if you start to feel overwhelmed by the holiday chaos, give your hand a squeeze and take a deep breath.
And get plenty of sleep. Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making.
You are a better problem solver and are better able to cope with stress when you're well-rested.
Spend time with your pets. Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health.
Listen to your favorite music. Music can make us feel good. There is solid evidence that music stimulates the production of dopamine, the “feel good” hormone in our bodies.
Stick to a budget
Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend.
Then stick to your budget.
Don’t try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts, it doesn’t work.
Try eating cashews…really.
