Destressing at the Holidays

by Jeannie Ruesch

Christmas is a time of joy and blessings and good cheer. It's also a time for love, new and old to sparkle. It's a time for people to reach out to their brothers and sisters, neighbors, and strangers with goodwill. Many great romantic and poignant movies and books revolve around this season. I'm certainly not immune to this time of year. It's one of my favorite.
 
It's also, unfortunately for some people (too many these days) a time of rushing around to find the perfect gift, decorating the house, fixing special food, and volunteering. In some occupations (such as my day job) workers have to work overtime to help others preparing so that we don't have much time to prepare. Thus stress abounds.
 
As a full-time worker and mom as well as a writer, it's very difficult to write during December much less get everything else done. When I get home late from the day job, I'm frazzled. Forget filling out 100 Christmas cards or decorating the house or baking Christmas goodies after work. My writing has suffered, too. And yet, writing is also my job so it's necessary to make time for it, even in December. My critique partners probably think I fell off the face of the earth this week.
 
Everybody has stress and it can occur at any time of year. December's just more famous for it en masse. We need to find ways to de-stress without eating a ton of chocolate and then stressing over a rapid weight gain.
 
Some things that destress me are listening to music. Turn on Christmas carols.
 
Good scents, especially lilac, can destress. Light scented candles. Bake pre-made Christmas goodies that you just stick in the oven if you don't have time or energy for full-fledged cooking.
 
Squeeze in a walk. Walking is miraculous. It helps us think, destress, and builds our heart.
 
Soak in a tub.
 
Read a good Christmas story. If you don't have time or patience to read a long one, read a short one. There are plenty available, old and new.
 
How do you destress? I'm sure there are many other ways. I also like to hold my cats and feel them purring.
 
What Christmas stories do you like to read and watch? My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas.
 
I hope everyone has a holiday season filled with love and good cheer. And don't feel you have to be perfect or get the perfect gift. This alone will help destress.
 
 
Elaine Hopper

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2 comments

Lavada December 10, 2008 - 1:58 pm

What an appropriate post. I try to do as much ahead as I can but no matter what I manage to do pre-December rush, things still have a way of getting out of hand. This year has been a bit more of a challenge because we’re leaving a few days after Christmas for a month in Arizona. I bought a laptop but haven’t gotten what I’ll need loaded on it yet. I have to-do lists galore.

This morning a pipe broke by the well house so no water right now. To make it worse the well services our house and two other units on the property. On the brighter side, our son has his own plumbing business and he’s on his way over. We would have it done already but with his busy life Jack wanted to do as much as he could before he called him.

We have one web development project that should have been done over a month ago. The client has long delays in getting content to us. A couple of web maintenance that popped up much like the water pipe. And, I have edits for a January release.

Two holiday outings, a brunch and dinner, this week. But right now I’m looking at a decorated Christmas tree and a card list that has been mailed out.

So, as I said a very appropriate post for me. You know come Christmas it will all fall in and everything will be perfect.

Take a deep breath and I’ll take one too.
Lavada

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J.K. Coi December 10, 2008 - 4:06 pm

The last few years, the holidays have gotten more and more stressful. Even limiting our gift-giving to the children in our family and of our friends has turned into a shopping expenditure for up to 20 people.

This year, with all the respect due the season, I said no.

Instead of buying gifts for everyone, within our family we drew names. And even for all of the children we usually bought a little something, this year instead, my son and I spent the day baking cookies and we put together a selectino wrapped nicely in glittery paper for all of our friends.

And you’d be amazed how much just that did to help me relax about Christmas this year. Without having to worry about buying something for this person and that person, and how much money am I spending, and will one child feel left out if I forgot someone…

It totally made the world of difference–and yet everyone will still receive something thoughtful from us this year. I’m very happy with my choice.

Immortals to Die For
http://www.jkcoi.com

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