As the holiday season approaches, many people will experience an increase in their stress levels, and that can take away from the joyful side of this time of year. In this post, we would like to share with you some tips from Jim Nicholson, Pearl Coach, that may help you to relax and enjoy the holidays.
Be Prepared
Lack of organization can cause a huge amount of stress at any time of the year, but a little preparation and a few lists can go a long way toward alleviating your stress. If you send out Holiday Cards, be sure to have all your supplies ready before you sit down to stuff those envelopes, especially the address list. If you are the Preparer of Meals like I am in our house, be sure to have your recipes in one easy to find place. I have the ones I will be making in a special binder to make it easier to put shopping lists together and to use as I teach my children the magic of being a cook.
No is an Acceptable Answer
This can be so difficult, even for me (and I pride myself in being able to say no). Spending time with your loved ones and creating a magical atmosphere is important but so is your health and sanity. You don’t have to attend every party or help with every charitable opportunity that comes your way. Clear (and loving) boundaries can be crucial to an enjoyable holiday, especially if you have children or your family lives out of town. Consider switching off events every other year or do one holiday with your family and another with your spouse’s family. When our children were babies, we decided that having traditions with our little family was vital and that we would not travel if it meant being away from our home on Christmas morning – a decision that I have never regretted.
Let Others Help You
You absolutely do not have to do everything yourself so look at your resources and consider opportunities to outsource things to enjoy the holidays. If you’re hosting a party, consider hiring a caterer or ordering some items from your neighborhood grocery store (I could buy an entire dinner from my favorite store if I were so inclined), and when your guests ask what they can bring – TELL them (they want to contribute). Consider hiring a neighborhood teen to help with chores and odd jobs or to spend time with your little blessings so you can get some shopping done. Or maybe you could bring in a professional to clean your house or finish that house project that’s still incomplete so you can be fresh for your holiday get togethers.
Take Care of Yourself
This is often the most obvious and the most easily overlooked. They say that you can’t take care of others properly if you aren’t taking care of yourself, and this time of year it’s too easy to put our own needs on the back burner. Schedule time for yourself, eat properly, do your minute movement exercises, and get plenty of sleep (bedtime isn’t just for the kiddos). I find that I am a better parent and partner when I have taken the time to do a few things I enjoy.
Switching our focus from perfection to reflection will allow us to focus on what is most important to each one of us. So, give yourself permission to forget about all the things you didn’t get done and remember to have fun.
In addition to the above tips, check out the Healthy Holiday Guide workshop that was recently presented to Pearl employees by Wellable. This is available through My Learning in Paycom and can be accessed anytime, on pc or mobile, with internet access.
Happy Holidays from the Learning and Development Team,
Jim, Misti, Chris, Josh, Roslyn, and Jenn
