How do you define stress? For this discussion, I will forgo the medical terminology that includes increasing levels of adrenaline in the body that lead to increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Rather, I’ll simply define stress as the uneasy feeling or anxiety that can swamp each of us during the Holiday season. Stress is that overwhelming feeling that occurs from too much to do and not enough time. It’s the burden of trying to meet either our own or others’ expectations when time and resources are limited.
Things like shopping for gifts, setting up the tree, wrapping the gifts, baking cookies, visiting friends, sending out cards, kids off from school, seeing family, inclement weather, traveling, busy airports, crowded roads, etc, etc. Why do we feel obligated to do all of these things? Why do we feel guilty if we don’t do these things? If a feeling of relief hits you when the Christmas season is over, then consider you might be taking on too much!
While not wanting to be too Grinch-like, I’ve come up with a few suggestions to give yourself a break from stress for Christmas. Now that could be a very nice present.
Suggestions for a Stress-Free Christmas:
- Recognize that it’s all made up. The traditions we think we need to fulfill are all simply made up. They are fabrications we’ve created in our own mind as a result of our parents, spouses, family and friends influencing and teaching us about what we have to do! Of course if we like to do them, fine … continue the tradition. But if we don’t enjoy or simply don’t have the time to do it all, it’s OK to exercise our choice and say, “No!” While the traditions we practice may have been handed down over generations, they are not cast in stone. Traditions are not written law.
- It doesn’t have to be a certain way … it can be whatever you decide. Traditions are what we’ve done in the past. Traditions can be changed. New traditions can be started. For example, several years ago my brothers and sisters decided we no longer needed to send gifts to each other. We all have what we need in our lives. Rather than feel an obligation to send a gift, the gifts have become simpler and more heartfelt. I love receiving the tin of homemade cookies from older sister each Christmas.
- Allocate your time. One of the great joys of Christmas is the tradition. As it coincides with the New Year, it’s a perfect time for rejuvenation. It’s a time to stop our daily routines and begin the New Year with a fresh start. So if you are going to STOP and start anew, then make sure you actually do stop your regular activities. This will allow quality time for the yearly traditions. Remember, it’s impossible to stuff 2 pounds into a one-pound sack.
- Allocate your resources. The past 2 years have seen our economy shift from abundant to scarce. Many families have had to make tough choices on how to spend their finite resources. How did we become a society where our love and concern is measured by the quantity and quality of the Christmas presents given and received? I’ve noticed in my own life that connecting with people and sharing the simple gift of friendship can be more generous and more appreciated than a gift card or a CD. Sharing love can be more generous then sharing our resources … especially if they are in tight supply.
I’ll conclude by encouraging each and every person to enjoy the Holiday Season and take from it exactly what you want. Enjoy your traditions! But recognize that the traditions you have may not fit your life-style anymore. If they don’t fit, then it’s OK to change them. You can make-up a new tradition that you choose. And it’s perfectly fine to recognize that your time and resources are limited. You only have 24 hours in any given day. You only have a finite number of dollars. Don’t feel guilty about either one.
With that I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the gift of a less stressful Holiday Season!
Next Blog Title: ‘Twas the Gump before Christmas
Next Blog Date: Thursday, December 24, 2010