Illustration

Wishing for a Stress Free Holiday Season

We are down to the final week of November and getting ready to enter into our final month of 2018.

Some may be very busy at this time prepping for holiday gatherings with family and friends. Others may be swamped within their business providing all the goodness they can for their clients. Regardless of the stress of the holiday season is just about ready to peak.


But what makes the holiday season so stressful?

Surprisingly enough – You Do! Through a series of unfortunate events stress builds within you. Now if you are the type of person that is a pleaser your stress load could actually double. Stress comes in many forms; from headaches, to stomach upsets, to body aches, to temper tantrums, to anger outbursts, to a flood of tears.

Fact:

    Everyone has stress in their life.
    Each individual will determine how they will showcase that stress.
    You are the only one who can determine how to expel the stresses surrounding you.


Stress factors cannot be put in a list from 1 to 10 as each individual list is based on their own circumstances. With that said here are the most common stress builders:

Money: If only we could attain all the money we would ever require for all the things that we not only need but want. You would tend to believe that all your stress would disappear. It may surprise you to find that those will the most money have just as much stress as those who have nothing.

Family: The greatest gift or the worst nightmare can be two descriptions some will use to define their family circle. Sometimes if the family is extremely loving and supportive the smothering effect can cause grief and stress. The same can be said for the family that expects you to do everything their way and you do not hold a voice or are respected to provide valuable input.

Friends: There are many kinds of friends from the ones we see often; to the ones we feel are close enough to be family, to the ones that are only there when they need something. Having a large circle of friends who are all begging for your attention can be incredibly stressful. It can also lead to bitterness and resentment. A number of people rely on friends to fill the void of the family; others wish they didn’t have so many casual friends, but rather just a handful of true friends.

Work: Oh the pitfalls of being in an atmosphere where everyone knows each other but no one really knows who you are. Spending time with people you would not otherwise associate yourself with can be unbearable. Yet your job is reliant on you being the picture-perfect employee filled with goodness and helpful to all who cross your path.

Customers/Clients: The customer is not always right. The expectation is beyond your control. The product or service you offer is the best it can be. The smile planted on your face is causing you pain. The first hour of your workday will set the mood for the remainder of your shift which intensifies as each hour passes.

Having just one of these stresses can make you cringe, yet so many have all of the above not just during the holiday season but every day of the year. So if you are feeling the stress remember you are not alone. Everyone handles it differently. What is most important is how you handle it!

Try to give yourself a break and . . .

    Make the choice to spend what you can afford for the people you wish to purchase.
    Keep family visits to a minimum and know when to sneak out gracefully.
    Make commitments to friends who will brighten your day or month.
    Do what you must for work associates and learn the art of the word "NO".
    For as much as your customers and clients are being rude or unreasonable, they may be under stress too!


When all else fails and you are ready to explode . . . – Find a quiet place with your beverage of choice and sit in the tranquil company of yourself. – 
Close your eyes and relax and think of a place where you are the boss of you and no one would dare interrupt.

Hoping you have a stress-reduced final month of the year!