I hear it all the time. Seems like everybody's life starts to unravel at the seams a little bit during the holidays. Whether you're a new mom, a seasoned mom, have five children, one, or none, it can be a time of great stress. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make it through this joyful season.
5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays/Holidaze
1. Prepare during the OTHER 10 months of the year. Some of us have not so great memories about the holidays, for a lot of people it's a reminder of difficult family memories and dynamics. Prepare and acknowledge during the other 10 months of the year that the holidays can be a difficult time. Do the work and process some of these difficulties during the off-season so that when the holidays come around it doesn't feel unbearable.
2. Stick to your usual routine. Do you go to the gym every Monday morning? Do you have a date night on Thursdays? Do your best to keep your usual routine during the holidays. It can get real easy to become overwhelmed with all of the hustle and bustle, shopping, holiday parties, new obligations. However, the normalcy of routine will give you that comfort you're striving for during this time.
3. Be kind to yourself. Didn't get around to making those 15 dozen cookies this year? Holiday cards didn't make it out on time? This is a time of year where we're stretched far too thin, it's important to be kind to yourself when things don't go exactly as planned and remind yourself you're doing the best you can.
4. Cross some things off your to do list. It's easy to get carried away with Pinterest for the holiday decor, crazy gift wrap ideas, and the desire to go above and beyond for your family and friends during this time. However, there needs to be a balance. Be aware of the things you can do versus the things you want to do and eliminate the things that are likely to cause you more stress than joy. Maybe that means this year you're not going to make it to your friends annual holiday party because what you're really needing is a movie night at home with the family.
5. Seek extra help if you need it. This is a crazy time of year for lots of folks, so if you're struggling it's best to reach out for additional support. The holidays can bring up a lot of unfinished business and for many it can be really painful. There's no harm in reaching out to a therapist to help you create a plan to thrive during this time. If you're feeling like you could use some extra support this time of year, please reach out and I'd be happy to speak with you.
Now, how about a bit of homework?
Pick one idea to implement and see if you can find any changes occurring in your day! How does it affect your mood, stress level, do you notice any changes in yourself, your work, your relationships?
I'd love to hear from you!! How did it go? Share in the comments below.
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