Don’t let that anxiety mess up your holidays...

The holiday season can stir up a lot of emotions within all of us. It is such a wonderful time year but can have us in turmoil. Having my son and his wife home for a couple days has made me do a lot of thinking. For one thing, my son Parker is a very disciplined individual and sticks to his routines even while traveling. I have always admired his dedication to his “routine” and his life goals. Yesterday we went for a run. It was a beautiful fall day. The crisp air began to bring the holiday spirit. I had not been on an outdoor run like this for a while. The fall trees, the squirrels preparing for winter, the dogs playing, and here I am in my “thoughts”. The holiday ‘s can bring on a lot of unwanted anxiety for some so I decided to change my plans for the blog this week. I wanted to talk about how we can keep to our normal good routines, as much as possible, and have the best holiday season ever. I am using the word “routine” loosely for what we should do regularly for our health and happiness. Parker is somewhat a health nut. He is vegetarian and watches what he eats. However, it is intriguing that he loves to bake (watches some British bakeoff show) and eats these treats. After our run, he said well that might have helped with the souffle I had yesterday with close to 1000 calories🤔. I began thinking how moderation is not an overused word when it comes to health and happiness. This made me think of the holidays. We seem to all throw out our normal routines, food protocols, budgets, and any type of limits that keep us on track of our life goals.

I know, in the past, I would over commit myself during the season and run myself ragged and end up with a sinus infection or just plain exhausted. I want to talk about ways we can reduce some of the anxiety creeping in and have a plan to stop it now. As you can see, I am not talking about not eating the fudge this Christmas, or having the pecan pie for Thanksgiving, I am wanting us to think of our past holiday seasons and where we can be better this year! Remember, we want to be better today than yesterday. Maybe it has never been the overindulgent of sweets, maybe it has been a blown budget, or too much spiked eggnog🤦‍♀️. Maybe there is some family drama queen or uncle weirdo that drives you nuts. Whatever we have dealt with that have kept us from truly enjoying ourselves into January, let’s nip it in the bud, and move on. Different strokes for different folks, let’s find some holiday anxiety inducers that we can eliminate before the season begins.

First, let’s all try commit to keeping our good eating habits in place for 90% of the time. Pick and choose when to indulge. I am picking the snowballs and pecan pie. Or, I love eggnog with a splash of vodka.

Or, I might want to add a couple of nights of bailey’s Irish cream. We get to pick whatever melts our butter (I love butter), do it. It is all going to be okay. Just not every night😁. Keep up your exercise regimen. Be committed. It will make you feel better. Don’t have one? Make one. It will make your season more enjoyable. Even if it is a walk down the block. Remember, we are not looking for perfection. We are looking at being better today than yesterday! Sleep. Get your sleep. That is my two cents. This is what I have told myself during my run. I am going to keep up my exercise. Please, remember, doing some type of movement is better than none. Walk across the room if you are a sedative person, then high-five yourself! Don’t laugh. I do this all the time. When I am having a bad day on my regimen, I talk to myself, then do a woo hoo go girl or a fist pump and plow through. It was a huge game changer for me of complimenting myself that my book Tiny Habits suggested. We tend to talk to ourselves very negatively and by giving ourselves these little pats on the back feels better.

What are some of the big stresses of the season? I did some research and here is some of the common tips that we can call out to help reduce stress during what should be the most beautiful and fun time of the year!

Be realistic. I moved this to the top. It was on many lists, in different terms, but thought we are all could be a little guilty of this. Not everything is going to be perfect. You might have bought a gift for someone that you were so excited about and come to find out that they already received yesterday. Or maybe your pecan pie crust got burnt, or the fudge is runny. Parts of your family show up thirty minutes late and the meat is cold. Get over it. Move on. Things happen. Life happens. Pinch yourself if need be and smile and forget it. Everything is not going to be perfect and just like what we imagined. I have in the past, been so guilty of this. Really? Do you think Preston and Parker cared that the packages did not all have pretty bows on them? Or, that I forgot to put out the salad on the table during Thanksgiving? How about washing the pan before the gravy was made? I have even forgot a family members gift at the house. We all have things that happen. Let’s keep ourselves in the spirit and focused on what is important. I rank this number one. We are not looking for perfection. Yes, we can aim but when life falls off the track, we get back on and move forward.

Over commitment. Be sure to only say “yes” when you feel necessary and truly know it is what you want for yourself. I realize life has its obligations but be reasonable. You do not have to take on all of it.

Learning to say “no” can be hard, but it might be necessary. I believe we are all guilty of doing this. Let’s make this year different. The year 2021, let’s at least think about the event, or task before commit to ourself or to others and then make the most of it!

Stick to the budget. Simply put. Make a plan and decide then to stick to it. I am not going to add much here. I am not good at budgets. Here is what I learned. Before you start your list, decide what you want to spend. Then make a list. Stick to it. I have done better in the last couple of years on spending close to my plan, but what I have learned most is being organized in your planning will keep your budget in place. Again, make a list and stick to it.

Don’t abandon Healthy habits. Like I said, keep up the things that you do to be healthier. Daily walks, morning stretching, gratitude journaling, drinking enough water, eating vegetables, etc. We all know what we do that makes us healthier. If you don’t do any of these things, I want you to find one thing that you can begin doing. This is the reason I started this blog. I want all of us to get better at life as we age. Keep doing things that are good for us, during the holidays, and it will make us feel better at the end. Yes, we are all going to indulge in our favorites, it is all going to be okay. Let’s just try to keep up with the good habits as well. After my run in the outdoors, I would encourage all of you to get outside! It is so refreshing this time of year. Go sit in the sun for a few minutes. It will be well worth it.

“Self-discipline is self-caring.” —M. Scott Peck

We all have differences. Acknowledge that we all beat to a different drum. This is what make the world go round. We need to be tolerant of other ideas and beliefs. We do not have to be right! When statements are made that we do not agree with, just nod that you heard the comment and move on. We can have our own opinions but do not have to put it onto others. We do not have to be right.

Don’t get into the drama. Don’t add fuel to a fire. Sit back, drink your cocoa, and move on. Some people might enjoy drama or tend to create it for your family or friends, don’t be a part of it.

In my counseling class, a chapter was on speaking only for yourself. I found this interesting. They suggest that you stay away from she said, he said, they said, or she felt, he felt, you get my drift. It is gossip and we all know that can cause DRAMA.

After being in retail for 39 years straight and not having the day off after Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be grateful for. Yes, some of you might still have to get up and go to work on this day. It will be okay. I never seemed to mind it once I was there. I am wanting all of us to enjoy this season as best as we can.

I encourage all of us to take some time to think about our past seasons and what we can do to make them even more enjoyable! Maybe it is just slowing down, appreciating what we have, and having a cup of eggnog. Life can be simple during the season.

“Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.” —Louisa May Alcott

Have a beautiful day my friends💖