by Claralynn Schnell of ContemporaryVA
Who hasn’t felt the stress of the holidays at one point in their lives? We live in a world where we over extend in all aspects of our lives. We work overtime so that we can go on vacation, we over commitment our schedules and we over extend our credit cards to show our “love” to one another. But what if for one year we didn’t do these things? What if we said no to engagements that we didn’t really want to go to? What if we stayed in budget? And what if just for once we didn’t stress about work and the commitments that come from work? What if for once we enjoyed our families, enjoyed some vacation time and let the holidays being one full of joy!?!
First, don’t let your calendar get overloaded like crazy. Say NO! You don’t need to do everything and please everyone. Try to only schedule one event during the week and one on the weekends. This will ensure that you are still getting plenty of down time while still being able to enjoy parties and the fun of the season. Also, ensure that you are doing some events that YOU want to do and not just things that you are required to do, or things that only your kids will enjoy! Creating less mess on your calendar will drastically decrease your stress level.
Second, stick to a budget! Who doesn’t feel the stress of trying to ensure that we choose the right gift for each person on our list and by the time we are done we have broken our budget? Who doesn’t feel the stress when they receive the credit card bill? This will just continue to add stress to your life and that of your spouse. Sticking to a budget will allow for a stress free giving situation!
Lastly, taking time off at the holidays is pretty common. However, most of us work so much before the vacation to ensure that everything is going to run smoothly when we are gone that we end up working those hours before we even take a vacation. Prioritize what has to be done, what you want to do and then what you could do if you have time. Once you have made a list, draw a line of what you MUST accomplish before you leave. Work on reaching that line, and then work in other things that are below the line if you have time. This will allow for a vacation where you can do more than just recover from work!
Holiday stress can be caused by other factors that need more attention, if this is you, please contact Paul to help you! Happy Holidays!!