Creating The Magic During The Holidays
Each year we anticipate the Hollywood fantasy of the holiday season. Unfortunately, many become victim to their own false promises of the season. These tips will help everyone avoid the pitfalls of the holidays and maximize their enjoyment.
We have all heard the festive holiday song that declares “what a wonderful time of the year” and the holiday season can be a wonderful time, if you get real. If you are as I am, every year you look forward to the holiday season as soon as the last one ends. One reason why is because I can put the trials and tribulations into perspective. For me to enjoying the moment is the goal. Not everyone can do that. Why? The answer is expectations. You want to live out the Hollywood fairytale storyboard of what the holidays should be. You are desperate to capture that fantasy. In attempting to achieve this you can lose sight of reality.
The holidays are indeed a time to enjoy. The enjoyment comes with learning how to lighten up on expectations. A favorite TV show holiday special has families overcoming problems in under an hour culminating in festival of love and joy. Some of these holiday programs might have been sponsored by those once popular commercials where the guy would say, “forgetaboutit.” In retrospect, these commercials were the sprinkling these show with a dose of reality. If your uncle Ernie was a horse’s butt the rest of the year, he will stay a horse’s butt for the holidays. The key is enjoying the holiday’s begins with acceptance of reality. Problems don’t dissolve by some mystical seasonal magic.. You either have to work them out or learn to accept their place in our lives.
Do you look to the holidays to cheer you up? Okay, take a moment of self examination and mull over if any or all of the following are elements of you holiday experience:
- Worry
- Uneasiness about what will happen
- Eagerly wishing but uneasy about what you desire
- Apprehension
- A lingering concern
- A sense of dread
- Feel a force that strains or deforms
- Mental or physical tension
- Urgency or pressure
These are meanings and synonyms taken from “Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus” for the words “anxiety and stress.” They are also not by any small coincidence symptoms experienced by people who suffer from depression. Sadly it is well documented by The American Psychological Association and the National Institute of Mental health, the number of people who experience some form of depression jumps upward during this supposed “wonderful time of the year. Well, there is the stress of preparation. Shopping. The anticipation of reactions. More shopping. Annoying crowds. Obnoxious drunks. Of course there is not only the Uncle Ernies to contend with but the other end of the horse, Aunt Edna in unison. And the stress of perfection, knowing that one person is going to do this or that. Don’t forget the pressure of time management on the conceptually impaired. Who are the conceptually impaired? Everyday people who forget you can’t possibly do everything you want or are expected to unless you run around in a red spandex suit with lightening bolt trimming. For these people delegation means a group of visitors from a foreign country. Are you beginning to feel those holiday vibes, yet?
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