Don’t Stress Out At Christmas! Stress Relief Is AvailableIf you are like most people, the Christmas holiday season can be quite stressful. This time of tear is supposed to be joyous, but with all the shopping, Christmas parties, and holiday get-togethers, it can be an extremely stressful time of year. Christmas is supposed to be a perfect time to get together with family, feast and celebrate. Some celebrate it as a secular holiday and celebrate their family. Others celebrate the Winter Solstice, while many have religious reasons for choosing Christmastime to celebrate, for most major religions have a religious ritual of some sort in late December, after the longest nights of winter have passed. Unfortunately, however, all of this revelry and forced happiness brings a sense of dread to many people. Here are some suggestions on how to give you Christmas stress relief. Stop the Comparisons Many people try their hardest to recreate the holidays using movies, books or childhood memories as blueprints. This is the biggest cause of Christmas stress. Relief is simple. Just stop trying to compete! You are not obliged to be perfect; just do the best you can with what you have. Having a happy, comfortable time is more important than decorations, gifts or the perfect gift wrap pattern! And stop trying to outdo one another with lavish gifts. Sometimes the best gift is quiet time spent with family and friends and sharing a simple meal and conversation together. Do Not Give Pets as Presents This will give a lot of Christmas stress relief to you and your animal companions. Christmas can be a loud, unpredictable, messy time. Part of the fun is that you do things you don't do everyday and this lack of routine can frighten an animal. Also, picking a pet is like a picking a marriage partner; do you really want someone else matchmaking for you? If the puppy or kitten at Christmas doesn't get along with it's intended owner, that animal will most likely have to be given to a shelter by Easter. You and the animals don't need the stress of sad memories. Change the Date There is no law that says you and your family HAVE to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day. If you have family members who work in retail stores, food service or in the airline industry, they will be too exhausted to celebrate. If you feel you and your family are too pressed for time, just choose to celebrate Christmas on another day. Try celebrating in January once all the holiday craziness has died down if the majority of family members have to work overtime during Christmas. Stress relief is worth the breaking of tradition. Do Not Shop at Stores If shopping at stores (or worse yet, at the mall!) is your biggest cause of Christmas stress, relief comes in the form of mail-order catalogs and online shopping. Sometimes, for a small fee, you can even get all of your presents gift wrapped. There is the slight chance that the package won't arrive in time, but that chance is a lot smaller than fighting traffic, squeezing between irritated strangers to find the shop is out of stock. Some people love being given a wrapped catalog under the tree with a note attached saying "One item on me!" When you realize that the holidays aren't about how to celebrate them, but that you celebrate them at all, Christmas stress relief just comes natural. So the next time you start stressing out about the Christmas holiday, remember that Christmas is about peace and joy and not about gifts and parties. It is okay to not attend every party and gathering. And it is certainly okay to have a meal together in lieu of giving gifts. And you most certainly don't have to celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Pick a day that works for everyone that will be stress-free and be convenient for all. Merry Christmas stress relief, everyone! |