Relieving Holiday Stress

It's no surprise to us that holidays are not the perfect, glistening times that the cute holiday movies portray. When it comes down to the reality of the holiday season, one wouldn't be wrong if they said they were stressful, depressing, and down right crazy. Knowing that, it may be wise to remember the most important thing that can get you through this period of time - taking care of yourself.

Sure, its' an age-old message. And sure, my inspiration for writing this piece comes from the fact that I haven't slept in about three days.

But we all want to make our holidays like those happy movies, and so we press on. One more store...just another dozen cookies...."Sure, I can pop in to that party." On top of..."Yes, I'll make that PTA meeting," "I'll take the extra hours at work," and don't forget about "Yes, I'm here for you." All of which can be very tolling on someone who thinks that the "magic" of the holidays will make it all worthwhile. Not so. Not so at all.

The good news is that you can enjoy the holidays, but you must remember to pay special attention to yourself. More than you would normally think to, however.

I'm a big believer that we should always take care of ourselves. But the holidays are just an especially stressful time. So some extras are needed. The first thing I always like to remember when I get myself to a point where I realize that I haven't taken care of myself is that it's okay. I'm learning. I know I need to care for me, but sometimes, I'll still lapse back into the people pleaser that I am. It's okay. But when you get to that point, where you realize that you have fallen back into a state of utter stress and frenziness, it helps to remember exactly what to do to get yourself back to "normal", especially in order to enjoy your holidays.

It can be something as simple as a warm bubble bath, or as much as taking a day off of work. Find your happy medium; just make the time.

For those who are not adept at making time to take care of themselves, this will sound like an atrocious task. But one that is needed. It is imperative to take care of yourself in order to be that solid rock for others, or to at least organize holiday events. Don't delay. That's my advice. If you have to do something that cannot be rearranged, and you feel yourself getting stressed, take your own steps to get through the event. But once you're done, it's time for yourself.

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