DE-STRESSING DECEMBER Ten Tips For A Stress-Free Holiday SeasonIf normally joyous holiday season makes you nervous, anxious and stressed out from anticipation, there is hope for you. Below are ten tips for reducing your holiday stress level and increasing your enjoyment of season.
1. Don?t try to do all cooking yourself for your holiday dinner. It?s more fun and less stress when you ask your guests to contribute something special to meal. They will feel needed and you?ll get a break!
2. Be aware of your sugar intake through holidays. Increased sugar levels can make you depressed and bloated. Try to avoid as many holiday treats as you can, so you don?t end up stressing over potential weight-gain come January.
3. Give up Perfect Holiday Myth. Nothing is ever perfect, so stop worrying about things that don?t matter. Believe it or not, nobody really cares if decorations aren?t flawless, wine isn?t cold enough, or pie crust is a little overdone.
4. Invite people to your gatherings and then figure about half of them will have other commitments. Plan accordingly so you don?t overspend your money on way too much food. Remember to enjoy people who DO attend, instead of lamenting over how many sent regrets.
5. Don?t put lights all way around your Christmas tree. Drape them back and forth, but only put them on sides that you can see. That way, when you take them down, you don?t have to walk circles around tree, you just stand in front and pull them off.
6. If you?re handy with a sewing machine, make fabric drawstring bags in varying sizes and festive fabrics. Every Christmas, reuse bags for gift giving under your tree at home, instead of using wrapping paper. You will save yourself money, as well as hours of wrapping time!