Do you want your holiday season to be as stress-free as possible? I know I do. To help you out, I am sharing 5 reminders you need this holiday season!
For so many years, I spent the majority of my time in a state of stress. I would stress and worry over the little things and almost panic over the big things.
SHOCK ALERT! My stress became so bad at one time in my past that my whole body seemed to shut down. I was in such a constant state of anxiety and stress and I truly believed I must have a very serious disease and that I was going to die. Sound dramatic? Well, for me at that time it was. I was so scared constantly….and of course, the more I worried and stressed, the worse it got. I had been under much more stress than usual… running a home, taking care of two small children, working full-time… with my military husband being deployed for a year. That year, our hot water heater burst, we had 9 foot drifts of snow in our yard (which, per military requirements, meant sidewalks and driveways had to be shoveled so there was no snow on those walkways). I cried a lot during that year, and I know it had an effect on my children. When my husband finally came home and I was able to take a step back and breathe, I finally realized I had been under a great deal of stress. Once things calmed down for me and normalized, the stress subsided ─ along with the symptoms I had been experiencing. That was the first time I realized how powerful a factor stress is and how it had even affected me in earlier years without me being aware of it!
Stress is a powerful thing ─ and be aware. For the majority of us, the holidays can be a very stressful time.
The holiday season brings a great deal of joy and warmth along with it. There’s something extra special about this time of year ─ but it doesn’t come without fault. A great deal of added stress is seemingly dumped on our plates, and it can be hard to catch our breath. The pressure of finding gifts, rushing around in the hustle and bustle to visit everyone, having people visit you, getting to see relatives you miss and even having to deal with those that aren’t always a joy to be around.
This season really can be enjoyable and heart-warming, even with the stress involved.
Walking into this time of year with a great mindset and some helpful reminders gets me through every year… and I’d love to share my tips on how I do this with you.
For a stress-free holiday season, I try to…
Remember perfect doesn’t really exist
- Your cookies turned out like blobs;
- Your lights aren’t lighting up;
- Your kids just made a mess of your clean house moments before the guests are arriving;
- The food you cooked got a little overdone.
Surrender your vision of what perfect is and just let it go. The only thing the people in your life care about is being with you.
Don’t feel bad about saying “no.”
You can’t do it all. There’s no reason you need to go to every party and event from now through New Year’s. Decide which ones are most important to attend and politely decline the others. Spreading yourself too thin isn’t good for anyone, and it makes the time fly by faster, also. You’ll enjoy the holiday months better if they don’t whiz by in a blink.
Stay away from crash diets
We’ve talked about reasonable ways to handle healthy eating during the holidays before. Please don’t decide to starve yourself to compensate for the extra calories you had or are going to have at that holiday party. If you do slip up, forgive yourself and make a point to be more mindful. Don’t punish yourself for any mistakes. Just move forward with better decisions, no punishment involved.
Know that asking for help is okay
Let me repeat: you can’t do it all. Let family and friends help out when they offer. They can bring a dish, grab something from the store on their way, or help with the dishes. If you have to go to someone’s party and don’t have the time to make something, grab something pre-made from the store. There comes a time when we all need help and learning how to accept it will be incredibly beneficial for your sanity.
Fit in time for yourself
Women, in particular, spend less than 30 minutes a day on themselves. Go for a run or a walk, get a limited-edition special-roasted coffee at the corner café and sit there in peace, read a book, take a bath, or make time with your best friend to just have one-on-one time without your kids tagging along. You’ll feel full again, which renews your mind and spirit like nothing else. We can’t give from an empty cup, as the saying goes.
Remember, the holidays are about joy. Find yours within, and you’ll be able to spread more of it around. What makes you feel most joyful?
One thing that fills me up during the holiday season and my way of spreading joy is… thinking about my loved ones and the happy memories we have shared. My family is spread far and wide. Many of them still live in the U.K., and both sets of our parents have passed on. But I have so many happy childhood memories of great Christmases with my immediate and extended family and then the wonderful Christmases we have spent throughout the U.S. and even world with my husband and my children. We have been blessed with a great family, great friends from all around the world, and a loving and happy home.
What about you? What happy memories do you have and what holiday traditions do you have? I would love to hear them. Comment below and let me know.
Don’t be so stressed this holiday season that you can hardly function. I would love to listen and give you some solutions. Get on a free call with me >>HERE<<
Healthy Holiday Recipe – Pumpkin Bread
Remember your ingredients should be at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten (replace with 2 x flax eggs for vegan)
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup each walnuts and raisins
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
In a 5 quart mixing bowl combine the first 5 ingredients then add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil and mix until well combined then add your nuts and raisins and mix until smooth.
Pour your mix into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a pick placed into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes then remove from pan and continue to cool on same rack.
Eat warm and enjoy!