Holiday Stress

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The holidays can be joyful, stimulating and fun.  Or, they can be stressful.  Which category do you fall into?  While most people prefer to put on their happy face and appear to be joyfully parading through the holidays, many are in a state of stress and dread.  Why?  Because the holidays have a lot of triggers that can make a person feel different, inadequate and stressed.

Advertisements promote deep shopping and giving.  Yet, the economy has left many people feeling like they can hardly maintain housing, put food on the table and exist.  How in the world can they consider giving luxurious gifts to loved ones?  Heck, just this week Oprah had her most awesome things show and suggested giving a $75 knife as a hostess gift.  A lot of people will not have $75 to spend on their family much less as a hostess gift!  The point is, reality and advertising do not always meet in the middle.  Thus, stress, inadequacy and feelings of despair enter into the thought process and the joyful feeling is out the window.

Family situations are not always conducive to contentment either.  Many people find they feel the need to impress their family and friends during the holidays.  Perhaps a sibling just bought a new vacation home and your mortgage is late again.  The feelings of despair can quickly come to the surface to replace the tranquility of falling snow and holiday cheer.  The mind can tell you to say congratulations and smile but the heart can say something quite different. 

For some absurd reason, we feel a compulsion to buy, impress, entertain and have a perfect life during the holidays.  However, it is not necessary to do so.  Instead, create an environment of peace and tranquility.  Ignore the ads.  Give your loved ones a note expressing your love and how you feel about them. It will take a little time to compose but it did not cost you anything, and they will probably like it much better than new house slippers.  They will carry your positive words with them through their entire life.

You can also skip the burdens you place on yourself to entertain and create a perfect life.  Simply give yourself the gift of acceptance and forgiveness.  Life is not perfect and not one single person experiences life as perfection.  Allow yourself to have an inadequacy or two.  Perhaps you are not a good cook.  If so, do not put yourself in the position of inviting family and friends to a home cooked meal.   Serve them pizza and be relaxed and enjoy the experience with them.  If decorating is not pleasurable to you, skip it.  Make the situation fun instead.   Print a Christmas tree and hand it to each guest and tell them you are skipping the clean up this year.  They will laugh with you and the gathering can be light hearted and fun for you too!

The holidays are open for all of us to interpret as we want.  Keep in mind, if stress comes into your world it is because you allowed it in.  This holiday season, open the door to peace and tranquility and ignore the stress triggers.   It is your choice!