The holidays are a time for peace, joy and love. For relaxing with your family. Creating wonderful memories of magical gifts and delicious meals. Everything perfect right??! Maybe not exactly.
It is easy to fall into the trap of expectations and the desire to have the ‘perfect’ Christmas. The reality of shopping, crazy relatives, running around, the extra cookies and cocktails, expectations from your family, not to mention the cost can create a lot of stress and anxiety.
Here are three important things to keep in mind this holiday season to help you feel more calm, relaxed, and able to cope with all the added stress that comes with this time of year.
Let It Go
No, I’m not encouraging you to go buy every blue Disney princess thing you can get your hands on. Trying to create the most magical holiday ever can really stress you out. It is important to acknowledge these feelings when they come up. When you start feeling overwhelmed or anxious, take a deep breath in. Christmas can be an emotional roller coaster, so try to let go of your desire for everything to be perfect.
Take it Easy
There is always so much that needs to get done. All the shopping, decorating, parties and travel. This time of year we are often so focused on buying just the right gifts and making it perfect for the people we love, it is easy to lose sight of ourselves. Often the more you try to do the worse your anxiety becomes. The best way to deal with this is to make some time for yourself. Go for a walk, take some time to stretch, have an early night and curl up with a good book or watch your favorite film. Or you could even work out. Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress and you don’t have to wait until the 1st to get started on your resolutions! By taking time for yourself you will be able to be more calm and happy for yourself and others.
Ask for help
You may feel like there is an expectation to be happy and keep a smile on your face. The truth is when you are feeling stressed or experiencing a lot of anxiety, this expectation can make your feelings even worse. Take the time to talk to someone about how you are feeling and what you are going through. Don’t feel like hitting every party? That’s perfectly fine, just remember to take it easy and relax.
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