Stress Management: Pressure-Proof Your Holidays
Stress Management: Pressure-Proof Your Holidays
The holidays are fast approaching. Are you feeling stress and overwhelm, instead of joyful anticipation? With so many competing obligations and needs in our modern life, preparing for the holidays might feel like yet another daunting chore. I'll share 5 key strategies to help you pressure-proof your holidays, so you can enjoy instead of "endure" your holidays.
1. Focus on what's important
What does the holidays mean to you? Is it the special time with loved ones, gratitude, renewal, hope, cultural or family traditions, reconnecting with old friends, serving the community, religious meaning, etc.? Find out what's important to you, and set a clear intention to focus only on those things.
2. Practice the 3-D Rule
Once you've decided what's important to you, you can then make a to-do list, and use the 3-D Rule to decide whether you will do it yourself, delegate to someone else, or dump it altogether from your to-do list. Ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? How important is it to do this task/activity? Is it really necessary to do this task/activity, or go to this function? (if not, delete it from your to-do list) Am I doing it because I want to, or because I feel obligated to do it?
Stop "shoulding" all over yourself. Consciously choose which activities and tasks you take on. Ask yourself: Is this activity (cooking, cleaning, baking, shopping, hosting a family reunion, seeing your in-laws, etc) giving me joy or stress? Can someone else do it for me? Reach out to your family, friends and people in your community. It's a great time to reach out to your support network, and/or be a part of someone's support network. Can you help lessen the burden of someone else and help them celebrate the holidays with more ease?
3. Simplify your holiday traditions
Forget about being perfect. Focus on what's important and the meaning of each tradition, but be flexible about how it's done. Stick with a few holiday traditions that you truly enjoy and try to simplify the rest.
Always ask yourself: "Are there other (easier) ways to do it that will serve the same purpose?" For example, do you really have to bring out every single holiday decoration you own?
If the purpose of sending out holiday cards is to reconnect with your family and friends, is it really necessary to send hand-written or even hand-made cards? Must yousend out all of your cards before Christmas? My graduate school professor has been sending me his "holiday greetings" in March, for the past few years. I'm just as thrilled to receive his cards, letters or pictures. Actually, it seems more special when it arrives on a non-holiday.
If buying a gift for every family and extended family member is a daunting (not to mention expensive) task, why not play "Secret Santa" game this year so that each person only has to buy a gift for one person?
If your goal is to enjoy quality time with your family & relatives at the party, is it really necessary for you to cook up the entire feast all by yourself? I have a client who ended up cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, because she couldn't say NO and didn't ask for help. If you enjoy cooking or baking, then by all means, show off your best dishes. But, if you feel overwhelmed by the thought of entertaining a full house with your home cooking, ask yourself: Can I ask some family members to bring some dishes? Or, like some of my friends did for this Thanksgiving, you can order the entire dinner from somewhere else and forget cooking altogether. Instead of spending hours laboring in the kitchen, you can actually sit back and relax, and have a heart-to-heart conversation with your loved ones.
4. Take care of yourself
One of your goals should be taking good care of yourself so you can enjoy the holidays too. Practicing Intensive Self-Care is extremely important, especially when you are under pressure.
"Many people try to do too much, try to please too many people", says Kenneth Goodrick, PhD, associate professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He is a psychotherapist and author of the book, Energy, Peace, Purpose. "Remember that happiness and fulfillment lie in the balance between self-care and caring for others," he says. "Take care of yourself so you won't burn out, so you will be of maximum help to others. That's where you will get maximum fulfillment."
I can't agree more. Nobody benefits when you are stressed out and burned out during the holidays. So, make sure you plan enough breaks and fun activities for yourself throughout the holiday season. Choose healthy foods and try to get some exercise from holiday-related activities. Stick with your favorite self-care routines and spiritual practices (e.g. yoga, meditation, reading), so you will be nurtured and centered. Don't forget to also reward yourself for a job well done!
5. Enjoy the present moment
Holidays are supposed to be joyful and fun! I often use "fun" as a criteria in choosing the activities/projects I pursue, because it's one of my core values. Perhaps you do not think of fun as an important element for the holidays. Perhaps there are other meanings (religious or not) that are important to you. It doesn't matter. The important thing is to be fully present in every activity you choose to do during the holidays, enjoy the present moment and enjoy each other. Don't worry about what still needs to be done or what you didn't do perfectly.
Embrace the experience and meaning of every activity. You will have much richer experiences, more joy, and stress-less holidays.
Stress Management PressureProof Your Holidays - To learn more about this author, visit Hueina Su's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
© copyright 2006 Hueina Su
The holidays are fast approaching. Are you feeling stress and overwhelm, instead of joyful anticipation? With so many competing obligations and needs in our modern life, preparing for the holidays might feel like yet another daunting chore. I'll share 5 key strategies to help you pressure-proof your holidays, so you can enjoy instead of "endure" your holidays.
1. Focus on what's important
What does the holidays mean to you? Is it the special time with loved ones, gratitude, renewal, hope, cultural or family traditions, reconnecting with old friends, serving the community, religious meaning, etc.? Find out what's important to you, and set a clear intention to focus only on those things.
2. Practice the 3-D Rule
Once you've decided what's important to you, you can then make a to-do list, and use the 3-D Rule to decide whether you will do it yourself, delegate to someone else, or dump it altogether from your to-do list. Ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? How important is it to do this task/activity? Is it really necessary to do this task/activity, or go to this function? (if not, delete it from your to-do list) Am I doing it because I want to, or because I feel obligated to do it?
Stop "shoulding" all over yourself. Consciously choose which activities and tasks you take on. Ask yourself: Is this activity (cooking, cleaning, baking, shopping, hosting a family reunion, seeing your in-laws, etc) giving me joy or stress? Can someone else do it for me? Reach out to your family, friends and people in your community. It's a great time to reach out to your support network, and/or be a part of someone's support network. Can you help lessen the burden of someone else and help them celebrate the holidays with more ease?
3. Simplify your holiday traditions
Forget about being perfect. Focus on what's important and the meaning of each tradition, but be flexible about how it's done. Stick with a few holiday traditions that you truly enjoy and try to simplify the rest.
Always ask yourself: "Are there other (easier) ways to do it that will serve the same purpose?" For example, do you really have to bring out every single holiday decoration you own?
If the purpose of sending out holiday cards is to reconnect with your family and friends, is it really necessary to send hand-written or even hand-made cards? Must yousend out all of your cards before Christmas? My graduate school professor has been sending me his "holiday greetings" in March, for the past few years. I'm just as thrilled to receive his cards, letters or pictures. Actually, it seems more special when it arrives on a non-holiday.
If buying a gift for every family and extended family member is a daunting (not to mention expensive) task, why not play "Secret Santa" game this year so that each person only has to buy a gift for one person?
If your goal is to enjoy quality time with your family & relatives at the party, is it really necessary for you to cook up the entire feast all by yourself? I have a client who ended up cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, because she couldn't say NO and didn't ask for help. If you enjoy cooking or baking, then by all means, show off your best dishes. But, if you feel overwhelmed by the thought of entertaining a full house with your home cooking, ask yourself: Can I ask some family members to bring some dishes? Or, like some of my friends did for this Thanksgiving, you can order the entire dinner from somewhere else and forget cooking altogether. Instead of spending hours laboring in the kitchen, you can actually sit back and relax, and have a heart-to-heart conversation with your loved ones.
4. Take care of yourself
One of your goals should be taking good care of yourself so you can enjoy the holidays too. Practicing Intensive Self-Care is extremely important, especially when you are under pressure.
"Many people try to do too much, try to please too many people", says Kenneth Goodrick, PhD, associate professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He is a psychotherapist and author of the book, Energy, Peace, Purpose. "Remember that happiness and fulfillment lie in the balance between self-care and caring for others," he says. "Take care of yourself so you won't burn out, so you will be of maximum help to others. That's where you will get maximum fulfillment."
I can't agree more. Nobody benefits when you are stressed out and burned out during the holidays. So, make sure you plan enough breaks and fun activities for yourself throughout the holiday season. Choose healthy foods and try to get some exercise from holiday-related activities. Stick with your favorite self-care routines and spiritual practices (e.g. yoga, meditation, reading), so you will be nurtured and centered. Don't forget to also reward yourself for a job well done!
5. Enjoy the present moment
Holidays are supposed to be joyful and fun! I often use "fun" as a criteria in choosing the activities/projects I pursue, because it's one of my core values. Perhaps you do not think of fun as an important element for the holidays. Perhaps there are other meanings (religious or not) that are important to you. It doesn't matter. The important thing is to be fully present in every activity you choose to do during the holidays, enjoy the present moment and enjoy each other. Don't worry about what still needs to be done or what you didn't do perfectly.
Embrace the experience and meaning of every activity. You will have much richer experiences, more joy, and stress-less holidays.
Stress Management PressureProof Your Holidays - To learn more about this author, visit Hueina Su's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Hueina's articles
 |
|
Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul - This blog contains articles, insights, tips and tools for women nurturers to practice Intensive Self-Care, manage stress, prevent/overcome Nurturing Burnout, and achieve Work/Life Balance.
|
|
 |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Women Entrepreneurs Vertical Market Ad Network QuickBooks Self Quiz The Small Picture The Leader’s Edge |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Diversion Blogs
Top Diversion Blogs of 2009 | |
 |
Write The PR
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
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 and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
