Keeping The Stress Levels Down Over the Holidays

Holidays are very important in our family, and because we are somewhat spread out, there are all kinds of difficulties. Knowing what they are and what to do about them is important if you want to enjoy friends, family and memory making occasions.

1) Plan Everything: If it’s something you can plan, do so. Have a master calendar, preferably the desk top kind with lots of room for each day. Write down everyone’s schedule, including work and school time. Write down all of the events, as well. Not every family member may be able to attend every event, so plan in advance who will go where.

As an example, your child may have a school concert during lunch, but your spouse will be at an important business meeting. If everyone knows what is going on, you can avoid a lot of hurt feelings.

2) Delegate: This is not the time to be supermom, superdad, etc. You really can’t do it all. Pick out the things you absolutely have to do, then look at the age, skill and experience levels of your other family members. If they can perform even the smallest task, ask them to do it. You’ll be surprised how much others want to help.

This works well for any holiday. Is Uncle Bob a wizard with the grill? Put him in charge of hot dogs and hamburgers for the Fourth of July get together. Is your eldest child past the Easter Bunny? Let him/her hide the eggs and baskets. As you can see, it will relieve you of many worries.

3) Relax: The world is not going to end if you forget someone on the Christmas card list or you forgot to put the pickled eggs in on time. Tensing up and remaining that way is going to have a trickle down effect. Everyone around you will pick up on that tension and become tense also. This is a never ending loop and it will mean a miserable time will be had by all.

This last is probably the hardest to do, so I will pass on a few tips to help you do so. The old bubble bath trick is an ideal way…in so long as someone is there to watch small kids. It’s rather hard to have a relaxing bath when the kids start pounding on the door.

If something is really going wrong and you need an extra boost, try imagining yourself in a peaceful place. I use the 23rd Psalm. The green pasture, still waters and most of all the Shepherd can calm me down in minutes. That allows me to focus on the problem and get it resolved.

Herbs can also be useful. Either in combination or separately, chamomile, jasmine, lavender and passionflower can help ease tension. Be careful if you have to drive or do something that requires concentration, as they can make you very drowsy.

If you find yourself unable to relax, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. It may be more than holiday stress. You should also consult the doctor if you wish to use herbal remedies to help. That will help you avoid side effects and drug/herb interactions.