Take time to de-stress and really enjoy holiday season

Lower your stress level by enjoying the entire holiday season with a little less emphasis on the gifts under your tree on Christmas Day.

Stress can be so detrimental to the mind, body and soul and the worst part about it is that it’s usually self-induced.

We all know the holidays are supposed to be joyous and a time to reconnect with family and friends. But for some, the holiday season can be more stressful than going to the dentist for a root canal. Take the focus away from spending money on gifts and refocus on creating holiday traditions that create everlasting memories.

This year, take a step back before it’s too late. There are 15 days left before the big day. But better yet, there are 15 days left to soak in the spirit of Christmas. Instead of dragging yourself into the depths of despair by running yourself ragged to create another commercialized-family Christmas, make sure to take some time out to enjoy a more traditional holiday.

Calm down your holiday stress

Good advice. You just need to make a plan and stick to it. Don’t just react and later regret your holidays.

We take our vacation over Thanksgiving. Our kids have left home and they live so far away that we have decided to enjoy our big vacation in late November. This has inspired a number of our friends to carve out time for their rest and renewal rather than being forced into the same old rush around holiday visits that leave them worn and emotionally bruised.

The choice is yours to make…………

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Dr Tim Lowenstein (c) 2009 All Rights Reserved

Contact Dr Tim for permission to reprint. info@stressmarket.com

When I first started seeing clients as a therapist eons ago I was shocked at the pain and suffering people went through over the holidays. For many it was the same ritual year after year. They may have had some hope of a fun time on the the days before but aferwards it was same fuming anger as they drove 8 hours home from Holiday Hell………….. grrrrrrrrrr. You would think after so many years they would have learned. Yes, they are your relatives. Yes, you feel obliged. But are you really that hungry for another big slice of Stress Pie?

Who Ordered the Big slice of Stress Pie?

There are many sad parts to Holiday Stress that make up this sour tasting Stress Pie. People have the best of intentions, they have hopes, they spend the little vacation time they have and mix that all together with the same old sick relationships and you have nasty Stress Pie. The ironic part is that if you remove the sense of obligation and insert friends for relatives, then most people would not suffer the same Holiday Hell year after year. One of the great benefits of stress management training is increased body and mind awareness. Okay that sounds like what???? What it means is that you pay attention to subtle changes inisde your body and mind. That is how you can prevent a headache – you notice the slight increase in muscle tension, your jaws tightening, your stomach churning. The second part is you have a choice. You can reverse that build up and release the tension before everything cramps up and you are driven to the medicine cabinet for a dose of drugs. You can apply the same skill to eating Stress Pie. Here’s how to say NO to Stress Pie. With clients, I would tape their finger to a Stress Thermometer

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stress thermometer tests for stress

Then we would just talk about their Holiday Hell. The Stress Thermometer temperature would plunge…… Dropping by degree after degree, sometimes losing a total of 10 to 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. The severity of the temperature plunge was related to how emotionally stressful the holiday was for them. After a while we would both find ourselves starring at the Stress Thermometer. “My word,” they would say, “how does that little thermometer know that I am that angery and upset?” It seemed kind of like magic, like staring in a mirror at yourself for the first time. Seeing the damage to the body in JUST thinking about Holiday Hell is very convincing and self-affirming. Remember if you do not go, the ‘herd or family’ will see that as a threat and do everything to get you to keep in line and go. You have to pay attention to your body. Look at how it is affecting you just by thinking about it without even going. And you can choose alternatives that are not as drastic as not going at all. Cut down the amount of time with family. Plan something fun and exciting for yourself while you are in the area after you leave the crazy family. But if you do choose to not go at all. You might find that once the barking subsides, your family might learn more respect for you. A nice compliment to the respect that you are learning for yourself – your body and your mind. And the same thing applies if you find yourself making crazy plans to do a mad dash around the countryside or committing to all kinds of events and parties that leave you exhausted and worn down after the holidays. Pay attention to how you will feel afterwards and use that as a guide to design a less pushed holiday. SO, DO NOT ORDER THE STRESS PIE. Make another choice, a healthier one so the holidays are a time of happiness and joy. Dr Tim Lowenstein (c) 2008 All Rights Reserved Contact Dr Tim for permission to reprint. We can supply a copy of photos from this article as well.