The holidays will be here before you know it. Clear
way for greater joy, love and meaning this year by busting these sources of holiday stress:1. Too much to do in too little time.
*This week, set holiday priorities with your family. Discuss what traditions to keep, which to discard, and which new traditions to try.
*Make a holiday to-do list NOW and create a realistic schedule for when to accomplish each item.
*Avoid overscheduling.
*Ask family members for help with holiday tasks.
2. Long lines in stores.
*Shop via catalog or Internet, and avoid stores on weekends if you can.
*If you're shopping with small children, take along snacks, books, toys or other items to make waiting in line more pleasant. Or, if you're sufficiently uninhibited, sing a holiday song with your child.
*If you're shopping alone, use waiting time to relax and and center yourself with meditation or prayer. Try directing your attention to your breathing at your belly. Or practice observing people around you through eyes of compassion, without judging. Give thanks or pray for healing, peace, or other concerns close to your heart.
3. Difficult relatives.
*Take some quiet time to develop a plan for taking care of yourself around relatives who “get your goat.”
*Invest in yourself by using a therapist to help create a plan to protect your boundaries.
4. Cranky kids.
*Think "low key" for a happy celebration with little ones. Remember that your small child thrives on your undivided attention and has a limited capacity to adjust to adult "needs" to hurry.
