How To Be Calm and Manage The Holiday Season

Be Calm and Enjoy the Holiday

It's Christmas time.  One of my most favorite holidays.  I love hearing the kids cheer in delight as they decorate the house and hang up stockings (there is a lot of present shaking too), listening to Christmas music in the car or house or at shopping stores, looking at the Christmas tree with its bright, shining lights and star that fill the house and rooms with sparkles and a spirit, watching Christmas movies about charity, forgiveness, kindness and love, and many more things about the season too.  The missing element (in California), however, is snow.....and without snow there's no Frosty The Snowman, snow angels, snowball fighting or snowflake kisses.  Still, I definitely do not miss the frozen car windows, icy and snowy driveways or slippery roads. There are some things in every season that are best left out, in my opinion, especially MEAN PEOPLE and STRESS.

The Christmas time can be overwhelming and stressful.  It can bring out the worst in people and make people overly busy and stretched to thin. Its just there are Christmas dinners, gift exchanges, parties, plays, etc.  And there is Christmas baking and party decorating and preparations, gift wrapping, good deeds, shopping, and more.  The thought of all of the "To-Do's" at Christmas time have my breathing and heart rates elevated and muscles tensing and I'm now starting to be forgetful, get hungry and nervously twitch.  What gives? I thought Christmas time was a time of good tidings of comfort and joy, family, friends and work gatherings or parties filled with laughter and love.

"Tis the season to be jolly, Fa La La La La... La La La La....." is apparently a part time feeling or thing.  But it does not have to be that way.  There are numerous healthy, stress-busting solutions (What are The Top Stress-Busting Solutions for the Holiday Season) to help you be calm and relaxed so you can keep your body and mind in a healthy and stable state and strong and energy levels up, and plan or schedule activities or parties so you can truly enjoy and feel the spirit throughout the Christmas season (time).

The happiness and joy that comes from or out of Christmas time are ones that really comes from genuine giving and love. Unless you are always a genuine person or become one overnight the following "Tips" will help you be calm and manage this holiday season.   

Apps & Calendars

Plan With and Use Apps and Calendars: If you have an Android, Blackberry or iPhone I bet you know how important it is to plan with and use the calendar app that exists on the home screen of the mobile device.  The calendar app should be used with a calendar or daily planner.  The two are at the palms of your hands and together they make it easier for you to complete projects, divvy tasks, do last minute shopping, find decorating ideas, make last minute phone calls, not miss meetings or parties, send cards or letters via email or post office, set reminders, and more. 

CalenMob

• Add appointments or meetings in a mobile device's calendar and set the alarm! and reminders at days and weeks to give you plenty of time to plan ahead and be prepared when it's time.

• Get a gift for the Gift Exchange.
• Go to the gym for a circuit training class.
• Go grocery shopping for the Holiday Dinner.
• Send out Christmas cards by December 15th.

• In a calendar or daily planner write down ALL commitments, meetings and parties, and concrete plans in the Notes section(s) so you can also make necessary arrangements or plan ahead and be prepared when it's time, especially any end-of-the-year deadlines, goals or projects. (These can also and it's recommended to be performed with a mobile phone's calendar app.)

• Drop off taxes to accountant/financial planner.
• Load an iTunes Playlist for the Friends-Giving Holiday Party.
• Make babysitter and hotel arrangements for the New Year's party.
• Plan healthy habits, such as exercise and yoga, most days of the week.

Simplify Decorations & STRESS

Be Imperfect & Don't Stress the Small Stuff.  This is a joyous, special time that can quickly U-Turn into an overwhelming, stressed out, unplanned time.  You can avoid that by carefully stepping back and tweaking schedules or thoughts.  

• Don't expect everything to go as planned no matter the amount of energy expended and preparation.  At a dinner or party having high expectations of others or yourself typically precedes disappointment or frustration which usually causes tension and the party's over then in more than one way.  That's unfair to family, friends and others. Try to have realistic ideas of how a dinner or party should go and at go-time just let everything go and unfold.

• Don't miss the opportunities to create memories.  Don't stretch yourself to thin.  Take time to hold close and laugh with loved ones and bake Christmas cookies and play games with kids. 
• Make homemade gifts.  It can be calming and rewarding.  Have the kids help out to make it a bonding and creative time.

• Don't stress the small stuff.  It's just stuff.  Right?  No sweat.  You can do anything, and everything you do will be PERFECT! 

• Decorate a Christmas tree with fewer bulbs, garland, icicles and lights, and the house with fewer candles, figurines, pictures and wreaths.  Less = More.
• Prepare only a few type of appetizers, finger foods and main meals.  Do this days ahead to avoid last minute catastrophes or change of minds.  And have the kids help out to make it a family, fun-filled time.

• Large and small stressors and things happen to all of us. And they will this Christmas too. The best thing you can do is plan ahead and shop or stock up on clothes, food, gifts and other items so you can limit the amount of unplanned things that will happen to you.

• (Amazon) Shop online.
• (Costco) Stock up on Christmas decorations and food to avoid repeat trips.
• Get an Exercise Coach or fitness video and workout at home in living room.

What About Me ..... Us???

Don't Worry, Be Happy.  We only live once in our lives and every holiday and season comes and goes as it pleases.  There's no way of controlling or stopping it.  So, it is in our best interest to leave "drama for our mama" and live each moment to its fullest, and make do.  I'd suggest be creative and have fun doing it.

• Put up a tree "Cirque-" style. 
• Start new Christmas family traditions.
• Write a yearly Christmas Story together.

There are opportunities at Christmas to  do "stuff" together, but it's also a great time to not let your or your family's health go in place of weight gain, etc.

• Avoid high fat and sugar foods.
• Drink a lot of water and eat snacks to prevent overeating.
• Get enough relaxation and sleep- nap; play games, read books; take shower.
• Increase physical activity levels & limit computer, tablet and TV screen times.

 Be Calm and Enjoy the Holiday Season.  Its "Happy Holidays!!!" for a reason.