Kick That Holiday Stress Out Of Your Life!

We have this image in our head that holiday gatherings with friends and family are supposed to be stress free, happy and enjoyable.  But for most, that is not the case.  Family relationships are very complicated. So what should you do?  Skip the holidays altogether?  Prepare yourself with some simple tips to get you through the next couple of months!

Identify your holiday triggers.

•  Do certain relatives invoke unhappy memories from the past? Or perhaps missing someone from the past or reliving certain unpleasant situations are triggers for you.
•  If you are struggling with an illness like depression or food allergy, some relatives may not be supportive of you and that can cause hurtful feelings.
• If you're family situation has changed recently, children going off to college, a parent or close relative has passed away...the general dynamic of the family changing can trigger depression and sadness.
•  Maybe you're bored of the same old routine.
•  For many of us, our sleep and food schedules are all off.  Lack of sleep, eating heavier foods can contribute to bad feelings about weight issues.
• The holiday season coincides with cold and flu season, so keeping up with the fast paced holiday schedule is even more difficult.

How to Cope

1)  Stay in control.  You cook the whole holiday meal because that is what is expected of you.  Or putting flowers on Aunt Sarah's grave is always done even though it's a state away.  Stop.  You may think that is what you have to do and what is expected of you, but you can say no, not this time.  Get help with the meal, just say no to the long drive, making all the desserts, etc.  Ask yourself why am I doing things I just can't stand and get miserable over it?  Once you say no to something that you feel is just too much, you will feel much better.

2) Challenge yourself.  What would happen if you did something a different way?  Think about reactions of the family if things are done a different way. Will it honestly be a disaster? Screaming? Upheaval? Once you get past that initial reaction, find out ways to do things differently.  Instead of a huge homemade holiday dinner, is it possible to go out to eat and go back to the home for dessert and coffee?  Buffer your needs with possible solutions so you can be prepared for families reactions.

3)Pace yourself.  Be kind to yourself.  Go slower, and don't worry about how things 'should' be.  Limit the number of things you do in one day, don't try to overdo.

4) Sleep well.  It's so important to get in as mush sleep and at least 7 hours a night to be able to handle the holiday stress and avoid sickness

5) Stengthen your immune system.  Sleeping is the best, but also adding in immunity boosting foods or supplements can help.  Wash your hands!  

If you need extra help, as a health coach I will work with you to reach your health goals!  Visit my website to sign up for a one hour complimentary health history.  www.wellnessevolution.coach