You would think that all of the bright lights and happy music everywhere would be enough to guarantee a brighter holiday, but it isn’t that easy. The holidays can be a stressful time -- even for those who love this time of year. Here are some ideas to help make this a brighter time within you as well as around you.
Whenever you feel yourself succumbing to the stress of the season, try to shift your focus to one of the many good parts…. the beautiful lights and decorations that surround you, the joyful Christmas music, the delight that shines in the eyes of a child, the store clerk who still has a sense of humor, and most of all, the opportunity to connect with friends and family.
Look on the bright side whenever you can. Spent your entire lunch hour shopping? Hey! You knocked two gifts off your list. You ended up parking at the end of the mall? Oh well. The exercise will be good for you. Exhausted from all of your holiday To-dos? Remind yourself that it will all be over soon.
Celebrate each and every success – with enthusiasm. You found a parking spot! You got in and out of that store in 15 minutes! You didn’t find the gizmo that Ted wanted but the gift you got for Rick is absolutely perfect!
Finally, remember that you have choices about how much you do for the holidays and how you go about doing those things. Are there some activities you do every year just because you’ve always done them, rather than because they are really important? Can you let some of those things go? Can you host one less event, buy pies and/or cookies instead of baking them (or at least bake fewer kinds of cookies), give some people gift cards instead of hand-picked gifts, pay someone to wrap your gifts instead of doing it yourself, etc., etc., etc.? Sure, you probably can get everything done, but at what cost? Save some energy for spending time with loved ones as your relaxed and happy self. It will mean more to them and make better memories for you.
Yes, this time of year can be stressful, but it is also a magical time for children and a great opportunity to connect with family and friends. Those are the things that really make the holiday bright – inside and out.
Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Yule!
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