We are entering the time of year when parents everywhere are one fuse short of a blow out. We try to make the holidays absolutely perfect for our off-spring. Typically the time and effort we put into making the holiday’s all shiny and rosy goes entirely unnoticed. Unless Mom ends up blowing up the bank or something else entirely plausible.
In light of that, we have come up with very simple and easy ways you can de-stress your holidays.
1. Store Bought Is the New Homemade. Of course we all love to eat home baked goodies, but with the schedules that we all keep it’s near impossible to bake like our Grandma’s did. No one needs to know that Harmons made those awesome cookies or salad that you brought to the holiday party. When you’re complimented, just smile and say Thank You. And then silently thank Harmons.
2. Take A Walk. That’s easy enough to understand. Exercising is a natural way to let off the pent up steam created from stress. However, walking in the winter is just plain cold. Don’t give up on walking because its -40 outside (or at least feels like it) think outside of the box for places you can walk.
Drop your kids off at the elementary school and then walk the halls. You can figure out how many times around the halls you need to walk to equal a mile. I’ve seen the teachers doing this at several schools (check with the administration to make sure they’re ok with it) . Most Malls open their doors early for people to mall walk. A lot of the newer high schools and junior high schools have indoor tracks, and if they don’t, then walk those halls baby (again, check with administration).
3. Turn off Technology Every Night At A Set Time. At our house we have a rule that all cell phones and computers are off and plugged into a huge outlet in the kitchen to charge. Nightly and no excuses. Everyone has until 11:00pm to finish their homework because once eleven o'clock rolls around our handy-dandy Internet filter turns on and no one can access the Internet. The filter is the bad guy, not Mom or Dad.
I know, I know.
I completely freaked out when this new rule was presented to me, too. No one is allowed to keep their cell phones or computers in their rooms– including Mom and Dad. It seems drastic, and honestly I nearly had a heart attack to not feel my phone under my pillow; however, I can honestly tell you that I sleep more soundly because I’m not constantly checking my phone.
Try it. You’ll love it.
4. If it’s worth doing its worth doing wrong. What the heck does that even mean? It means that no one is going to notice if your front door has a fresh coat of paint or if all the presents are elegantly wrapped with homemade gift tags. While all the little details are nice, you can let a large majority of them go and the holidays will still be wonderful.
5. Remember What Nancy Reagan Taught Us… Just Say No. That is the most liberating word in the English language. NO. You don’t have to go to every single party on the planet, bake twenty-four dozen cookies for the PTA or provide a Sub-for-Santa for three families. No. You won’t be thought less of, nor will your family stop loving you. You simply we not be stressed because you embraced the most powerful word on the planet: No.
What are your favorite Holiday De-stressors?
