Is It Too Early To Talk About The Holidays?
Honestly, It's never too early to talk about the most joyous season to come-HOLIDAY SEASON! While most are anxiously anticipating Thanksgiving and Christmas to make their grand appearance, others are dreaded with the anxiety of how they will survive another family holiday.
So how do we prepare mentally for the holiday season? In Today's blog, we will go over some solution-focused tips that may help alleviate the crippling anxiety of the holidays and help you make the best of each holiday season to come!
MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY MENU & SHOP EARLY. I mean super early. Right around late October through the first week of November. Try to have your holiday menus done the month prior and stick to it. Giving your family members a time frame to get their special requests in can help minimize stressful shopping early on. For example, if you plan to get all your holiday food shopping done by November 15th-have your menu reviewed and completed by the 10th. The same for December. That way you have a clear mindset of what is needed. Here's a helpful hint: Try to shop early in the morning (on a weekday) if you can to avoid crowds. Of course, there will be times when you will need to get some items at the last minute, but imagine picking up one or two items rather than a whole menu list.
CHECK-IN WITH YOUR SUPPORT GROUP. Women are prone to stress around the holidays. A good way to ease the anxiety is to let a friend know you will be needing a time-out for support along the way. If you have a friend that deals with stress and anxiety well, this may be a good time to get a few ideas on how to ride the holiday wave and remain calm. Perhaps planning a pre-celebration or post-holiday celebration with friends to celebrate making it through a stressful time can help ease things.
NORMALIZE HEALTHY COMMUNICATION. If a certain company gives you an uncomfortable feeling, it is ok to excuse yourself or not invite them to your house. There's no saying you have to sacrifice your mental well-being at the expense of being around the unhealthy company. Of course, have a healthy conversation if you have a significant other and this involves multiple parties. Practice communication and listening skills. Use methods such as acknowledging what someone has said by repeating what they have said back to them so you can establish clarity. This method shows the other person you have heard them. Remember You should be able to convey your information in such a way that opens to door for feedback and a gentle conclusion. Gently shift the subject if a conversation is becoming stressful for you or for another family member.
