Tweet

Coping with Holiday Stress

Guest post by: Terri Levine

Article Overview: Forget the day to day stress of juggling family and career - what about the stress of getting away from it all? Yes, even holidays can be a time of stress.

Coping with Holiday Stress

As much as we like to think of holidays in terms of rest and relaxation and a time to recharge our batteries, for many of us, it is just one more responsibility added to our already full to-do lists. And it doesn't matter if we are career people, full-time parents, or a combination of both. Holiday time can be a time of great stress.

There are some simple strategies, however, that we can incorporate to make a difference to our stress levels:

1. Allow yourself to feel empowered. If you feel and act like a victim, you will not be able to help yourself. No one is going to save you from your responsibilities this season and only you have the power and responsibility to change it. So stop complaining and stand up and prepare yourself for change. This year, you do things the way you need to do them to preserve your sanity. If you have family who come to your house each year, instead of YOU being chief of cooking, cleaning, entertaining and so on, delegate certain activities to other family members. Share your responsibilities.

2. Be fully present. Focus on each task you are dealing with rather than where you have to be next or how much work or shopping you need to finish. If you put all of your energy into the here and now, you will accomplish more and feel less frustrated. Often it is the thought of all the unfinished work that still lies ahead of us that causes us stress. So just don't think about it until it is time to do it. Having said that, don't leave holiday shopping/gifts to the last minute - start early and spread it out. Avoid the mad rushes, traffic and stress that goes with last minute gift buying.

3. Examine all your planned tasks and see what is not mandatory. At first glance, you'll probably think they are all mandatory. Look again. Which ones can be simplified, delegated, or done in less time without compromising the outcome? List all your duties and you will begin to see what is not required. If you are going away for the holidays, careful planning and not leaving everything to the last minute can avoid late night stressing. Making a list of what you'll need and having most of it ready and packed will alleviate much of the last minute arrangements. This includes booking a cab well in advance and confirming a few hours beforehand again, if you need to catch a plain, train, bus or boat. Public transport creates a lot of anxiety in people, even without the more recent terrorist concerns. Using a checklist before you leave home to ensure you have all the necessary travel documents, visas, travelers checks etc. will save much unnecessary stress.

4. Take some breaks. Stretch or get some water, or take a walk several times a day. During lunch, find a way to rest your mind. Give yourself the mental break you need. Read or listen to music or talk to friends to escape and feel more peaceful. A truly refreshing holiday is one in which your selfish desires are met. Of course, if holidaying with a partner/family, some give and take is required and compromises made. If all involved in the holiday get a fair share of selfish pleasures, there is no reason why everyone should not enjoy their holiday together.

5. If you're working, at the end of the day, close the door and leave all of your work problems behind the door. You may even visualize a box that you are putting a lid on and it cannot be reopened until the next day. Say good-bye to your workplace each evening. It is not often possible for busy professionals to just switch off once they leave the office and commence vacation. Their minds continually tick over with unfinished business, worrying about what will happen in their absence, worrying about progress of certain projects, patients, etc. This is natural and it can ruin a holiday. Leading up to a holiday, I recommend that people start a couple of weeks before by starting to go home on time... start to "unwind" before the actual first day of holidays officially commences. Start delegating projects and tasks sooner so you can see how things will be looked after in your absence. Make arrangements that will enable you to go on holidays without worrying about what's happening back at the office. Winding down is something that has to be commenced long before the actual holiday arrives!

6. Allow yourself time and space to get your feelings out. Try writing in a journal to say what you are feeling about your situation. Express all your anger and sadness in your journal. This is not crazy. Try it for yourself and see the cathartic results gained from doing this exercise.

7. Maintain open communication with family and friends. Share your feelings out loud and seek the advice and support of your family, close friends, or support group. Listen to what your support systems are saying and be open to new ideas. Regardless of whether the holiday entails just two people, or includes children, arguments and disappointments can mostly be avoided if all have discussed and agreed, in advance, on the holiday plans and expectations. It is when people harbor expectations and make assumptions that don't turn out in reality, that disappointment and arguments arise. Therefore, should one partner want to bungee jump while the other enjoys relaxing in a spa, there is no problem. Knowing and accepting this in advance, both can enjoy these activities without guilt or argument.

8. Stay motivated. Take hot baths, listen to soothing music, exercise, eat healthy and enjoy the company of friends. Have some solitude each day. Come up with a list of 20 things that will really bring you joy and pleasure every day. Whenever you really feel stressed, take out the list and make time in the day to do things that will reduce your stress.

9. Remember that work is often cyclical. That you have more work this week than ever before doesn't mean it will be this way next week. Remember it will change and your workload will shift again. If one partner is inclined to take their laptop and mobile everywhere, this needs to be sorted out before the holiday starts. A true holiday involves no work. Compromise by leaving a list of hotel contacts with your secretary before you leave with strict instructions to only contact in an emergency.

10. If you find yourself unable to make the situation any better, focus on the positive. For example, If you choose to stay in your current job, decide why you are staying. There must be some positives: the people you work with, the benefits, the distance from your home. Focus on those and refuse to engage in negative chatter with your co-workers.

Pull yourself up rather than down. It is a choice you can make. The same applies to home-makers faced with the awesome task of decorating, cooking and gift buying, as well as being house-maid and super host or hostess. Focus on the positive benefits and outcomes from your efforts, and remember points 1-3 above - if you face something stressful, ask yourself if you really need to do it, and if you do, how might you do it differently so it won't be stressful.

And remember, if you are going away on holidays, when returning from holiday, don't rush straight back into routine or the office. Stay away from the computer. Allow 1 or 2 days to gently get back into the swing of things, and let the holiday spirit subside gradually and naturally... the refreshed feeling will last longer and you don't get that nasty shock trying to jump from holiday mode to work mode. One trick is to not return to work until mid-week, Wednesday or Thursday. That way, you only need to work a couple of days before the weekend, and the shift back into work routine does not come as such a shock to the system as it can do if one starts back at the beginning of the week.

Related Articles
  10 Tips for Coping with Holiday Stress
  Help! I'm Stressed and Anxious
  'Tis the Season for Holiday Networking - And Here's Your Guide
  3 Tips to Relieving Stress in the Workplace
  5 Healthy Coping Skills for Stressful Situations
  Prepare Early and Make a Big Increase in Your Holiday Sales
  A Proposal for the Thanksgiving Non-Holiday Holiday
  HELPFUL HINTS TO OVERCOME STRESS
  Fast and Effective ways for Coping with Stress!
  Relaxing with a Mental PDA - Your 5 minutes Daily Program to Stress Management
  Massage Therapy: A Perfect Gift...An Ideal Industry
  Who are the most mentally tough and resilient in the face of work and life stress?
  Chill out – without the snow!
  The Symptoms of Stress and why you need to know them!
  Creating The Perfect Holiday PR Pitch: Tapping Into The Billion $ Spending Season
  Distress and Eustress. Do You Know the Difference?
  How Your Stress Management Skills Affects Your Earning Potential
  Aromatherapy - The Best Scent for Relieving Stress
  Reduce your personal stress
  Stress at Work: More Coping Techniques in Your Toolkit

Article Tags: holiday stress, holidays, managing stress, stress



Related Forum Posts
Re: Moderators on vacation - This moderator is not going on Holiday. I am here
Re: Vacation for Evan - Have a Happy Holiday and have fun!
Re: Infographic: The 4 Main Stress Factors - I'd like to reference that article in my next blog post as well.. I worked in sales for years and found that days when I was positive, relaxed where days that it was easy to sell. On days that I was stressed I found I would not reach target. Stress is good at times, but it very easily becomes problematic. I do a lot of very physical exercise and work now, to manage it.
Office gifts,help settle this one... - Ok- I wasn't sure where to post this, so I just stuck it in the forum I moderate. I think I've mentioned before that I work a full time job (outside of my home businesses), in a business financial brokerage. that being said, see if you can settle this one- Every year during December Holiday time, we receive gift baskets in the office from the banks/ Lenders we work with. My boss, although very generous all year long, will take most of the gift baskets home for he and his family. I'm talking a heck of a lot of gift baskets! My view on this is that when a gift basket is sent to an office, it should be enjoyed by everyone because we all work as a team equally as hard. We (the staff) believe that although most of the baskets are addressed to our boss, they are meant for "the office" because last year one of the lenders found out that my boss took it home (our office manager blew the whistle there) and the bank got upset and sent another one just for the staff! What is everyone's take on this, does he have the right to take it all home and "hog" the gift? If it happens again this year, should something be mentioned to him and if so, what/how?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Starting A Set of Books

What is Discretionary Cash Flow

Email Marketing Made Easy #11 - Avoiding Spam

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.