Enjoy the Holidays! 5 Practices for Less Stress & More Joy
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By It bothers me that most conversations I have at this time of year contain some level of stress and anxiety about the upcoming holiday season. I’m not immune myself – every year I swing on a pendulum between being caught up in a frenzy of materialism or feeling the urge to back away and becoming cynical about the entire season. What is up with that? Shouldn’t this time of year be about peace, joy and celebration?
It’s understandably complex; the holiday season taps into all of our personal and collective beliefs and values, from our deepest feelings about creation to how our families function to how we live in community. Throw a substantial dose of shameless consumerism into the mix and it’s no wonder people both love and dread December.
For better or worse, it’s the way it is – but there’s an option. You can consciously change your relationship to this time of year. Rather than just go for the ride year after year, (and hope you don’t put on too many extra pounds) you can make a declaration to yourself to make this a different year.
Here are 5 practices to seriously consider. If you do, I guarantee, you will feel surprisingly different by the end of the year.
1. Get clear about what’s most important to you. Redefine the spirit of the season for yourself. What is this holiday really about, is it spiritual? Family? Is it even about giving? There are no right answers, except yours.
2. Are your basic needs met before giving to others? Are you in integrity with your finances? Often we equate love and generosity with the value of a gift. Gift giving can take many forms. Make sure you are in alignment with your true values first, and then decide what to give.
3. When you find yourself imagining stressful scenarios about family interactions or social situations ask yourself, “is this the only possibility?” Remind yourself that worrying about the future or regretting the past isn’t going to change what has or is going to happen. Search for what else could be true, rather than what you fear.
4. Create your own traditions. Once you’re clear about what makes this season meaningful for you, have fun and play with it. Invite your loved ones to participate in something new. Take a risk, defy convention.
5. Remember, your time and energy is precious. Are your boundaries intact? Most of the stress around the holidays surrounds an increase time demands and frankly, increased food intake. Be clear about what works for you and what doesn’t. Making and sticking to healthy choices isn’t deprivation, it’s self love. Enjoy yourself as well as honoring yourself at the deepest level.
For me the holidays are about remembering the light, celebrating goodness and deeply feeling gratitude for life itself. I’m looking forward to December…are you?
I wish you ALL, all the goodness, light and love possible now and through this holiday season.
It’s YOUR life…imagine the possibilities!
About the Author
Helaine Iris is a Life and Business Coach, who has been featured in numerous publications, including "O" The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs and professional women accelerate their professional success, while achieving a more complete and fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. Helaine's Website.
I did not know that. thanks for the update
This is a great post and the older I get the more in tune I am to what the holidays mean to me and what I want out of them.
I particularly agree with your statement about people associating love with the value of gifts that they give… I hope most have learned and will change accordingly this upcoming holiday season.
So many busy people go away on holiday and become ill straight away. It’s like their illness has been waiting for them to relax!
A great tip I once heard is that really successful people who manage to enjoy every part of their lives and never become ill is to have some specific ideas or goals in mind, even for your holidays.
I tried this out personally and it works – I began to focus on enjoying taking out sailing dinghies and catamarans for my up-coming holidays.
What a difference it made – I was energised the whole time and had a great holiday.
Cheers!
Lee Duncan
“Most people don’t go into business for themselves just to survive, but that’s what most end up doing”
Great information. It’s rare anymore to find someone who actually gives good content. Thx
Yes number five is the most important for me. SInce at work I feel very stressed and I have to do something about this.
I’ll consider your tips and let you know if it works for me.
I love the idea of having your own traditions. I think this is an important way to find a way to bring a family together and doing things that are special and you can look forward to next year!!!!
I appreciate your fifth practice: Time and Energy are precious. They are time is money as some people say :) but staying healthy is more important and stress can lead to many problems in later life
Just found your site by accident doing a search for something completely unrelated. Looks like you have some good stuff here! Added your RSS feed to my rss reader, looking forward to reading more.
Dealing with stress, holidays or not is always difficult.Todays’ pace of life seems to have stress built into it and sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. Many people seem to stress over the slightest thing, and usually this stress is brought about by not being prepared in advance for whatever is causing the stress. Use the Boy Scouts motto “Be Prepared” Whether its work or holidays, sit down quietly for a few minutes, think, and then make a list of the things you need to do, no matter how small. Read your list every day and do at least one of the tasks on your list. Take the easy ones first, you’ll be amazed at how good it makes you feel when you accomplish them. And funily enough your stress doesn’t seem to be so bad after all!
Thanks for the great advice . I always seen to get stressed during the holidays.
These sound tips apply to any Holiday and with the Vacation period approaching, we should remember to create our own traditions.
These are great tips and this post is a good reminder of what christmas should really be about.
It’s crazy how people spend themselves right into debt during the holidays…
I think I fit in the most with #2. When I’m broke and can’t afford to live for the next few weeks then I know the holidays are over.
I really need to work on that.
Joan, if you have an internet connection on an island, life would never be simple.
Ah, what one would give to get back to the simple life. Give me an island and an Internet connection and that will be plenty for me. Island up for sale anywhere, anyone? :)
These tips are great, I’m forwarding them to my wife.
I bought one of your templates, by the way, and I love it. I looked for weeks and settled on this one. Kudos and great work.
Best,
Bryan
I agree with Linda, “Thanks for your advice! I think it is difficult for us to maintain balance and perspective, especially if we are trying to start a business.
One of the things I have learned recently is the need to set boundaries. I appreciate your fifth practice: Time and Energy are precious.
Although your comments are directed at the stress of the holidays, I think they are very applicable to entrepreneurs!”
Kristal L. Rosebrook
Creating New Traditions…hmm…that’s something im sure everybody wants to do at some point, but is very difficult to do because of social norms…
Even feel stressed after reading all these comments! Oh for a simple life…
great blog keep up the good posting
This is obviously one great post. The information are very insightful and helpful. Thanks for sharing all of these.
I think it is impossible to have a holiday and then come back to 300 letters and 1000 emails. its not relaxing…..but I have to be better to just “cut the line”.
I have the same feeling of the stress and holidays. Thanks for your advice!
This could be a very stressful year if the world economies slip into recession – so a stress-free strategy will be necessary.
Dealing with stress is something we all have to face. I have found the best way is to try to eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep and then allow a certain amount of time for work and family.
Getting clear is a very important step that many people forget. Now we have to deal with the stress of credit card bills and our New Year’s resolutions. Eileen McDargh has a new article with five tips that will help you get going in the New Year. You can read it at http://www.eileenmcdargh.com/article_fivetips.html
yes, yes, yes! the holidays can be so stressful. we’ve had to say “no” a lot. and we’ve also had to be creative about finding new ways of doing things. sometimes traditions go bad when we do them only to do them. This is especially true when they start hurting the experience for all involved. it’s hard to do this with family involved. everyone has an opinion on how things should go. so being diplomatic goes a long way.
Great tips!:)
I need to relax a bit but not stop work altogether. Destressing once in a while will surely do your business good. Be sure not to slack it though.
No 4 is so true and valuable. It’s all those small traditions and secret family language that bonds people together.
Thanks for this list
Life – Style: take time-out on simple pleasures – for example, eat well – choose good healthy foods and have plenty of variety. Of course, you can go overboard once in a while but do it in moderation!
here’s an idea: do at least 1 thing everyday that will get you closer to your goals. If your tendency is to procrastinate, or put things off…..then you’re gonna get really stressed out when your stuff isn’t getting done.
Thanks for your advice! I think it is difficult for us to maintain balance and perspective, especially if we are trying to start a business.
One of the things I have learned recently is the need to set boundaries. I appreciate your fifth practice: Time and Energy are precious.
Although your comments are directed at the stress of the holidays, I think they are very applicable to entrepreneurs!
Thanks,
Linda