How to Handle Stress During the Christmas Season

It's amazing that some of the times in our life that we want to be the most cherished can quickly turn into chaos, confusion and fretting if we do not stand guard to watch out and keep the stress and chaos at bay.

Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Before you even start your calendar or schedule make sure you have set aside some breaks for yourself. Going nonstop from task to task or person to person does no one any good if you and all of your people are exhausted and just trying to be the "last one standing". This is a Holiday, not a competition.

Remind yourself continuously that not only do you not have to be everything to everyone, but guess what; you aren't everything to everyone, no one human being really is. The supermom or dad or sis or kid or super-any-human only lurks in our minds, our egos.

Feeling frustrated, but can't put your finger on it? Let it go, chill out. Christmas was never designed to be the most stressful and resented time of the year, no matter what your religious or Holiday beliefs are. People tend to put so much expectation on the events, dates and on themselves that it can be a set up for failure.

Don't confuse this Season with Season's past, good or bad. Try to live in the moment of where you are now, it's ok to appreciate a better place in your life now or to remember a better time that you cherish, just don't get stuck there and miss out on what is happening now.

You do not have to follow every tradition, rule and regulation blindly; just because it's always been done this way, does not make it right or wrong. Of course there are some common sense etiquette's to follow and contrary to the rebellion 101 group; the Holidays are not usually the best time to throw caution to the wind at the holiday office party or to argue with Grandma Mable about her horrible turkey gravy recipe. And, if you are tired of listening to Bing Crosby for the 541^st time, there really has been some other music recorded since 1954.

There you have it, just some little tidbits to remind you to:

Take it easy, have fun, live in the now, and appreciate yourself, your quirky people and all that you have in life. Make some time for yourself to remember why you can look forward to Christmas each year and not to dread it, as though it is a task, a chore or some kind of competition.