Happy Holidays everyone!
This is the season to be jolly, but so many of us find the stress of the holidays to be a little overwhelming and turn us into Scrooge-like behavior, when in our hearts we want to spread joy, love, and good cheer. The cause of this hum-bug attitude to Christmas can be attributed to many factors, such as financial worries, the inability to be with your loved ones, the stress of shopping, juggling too many parties, house guests, family obligations, and so on.
Here are a few tips for combating the holiday stress, and if you are a writer, they can also be applied to dealing with the challenge of writing through rejection too!
So here goes:
Have realistic expectations and set realistic goals for yourself.
Pace yourself.
Make a list and prioritize the important activities.
Live "in the moment" and enjoy the present.
Look to the future with optimism.
Don't set yourself up for disappointment or compare yourself to others!
Volunteer some of your time to help others.
Make some time for yourself!
I don't know if any of this will help, or if we just need to plow through, and keep that chin up, and place a smile on our face. But soon the holidays will be over, soon we will rebound from a rejection or two, and life will smile on us once again.
Until then, good luck, enjoy the season of giving as much as you can, and take time to remember your blessings.
Patrice
Omygosh - I am so far behind this year. Haven't even mailed my mailers yet. I made a list . . . . Checked it twice . . . . but it's not going down. I will prevail.
Amen Patrice. I'm am trying to simplify quite a lot this year and remain reasonably sane.
Hi P.L. and Beth,
I still haven't bought Christmas cards -- and I always send them to my Canadian friends. Sheesh! I'll blame it on my 3 month old grand-daughter who enjoyed my visit!
Hum-bug I say. Next year I'm cancelling Christmas!
Patrice, great blog. This time of year can be so stressful. I guess I'm lucky because I've mailed all the presents that have to be mailed, only have 2 dozen cookies left to bake, cards are done and ready to mail. All the shopping is done, except one gift card. Hang in there everyone, and I'm glad this only comes once a year.
Hi Marie,
Yes, I'm glad it's only once a year too! But you seem very well organized. I have all the away gifts off, and very little shopping left, but some small stuff, and I'm still trying to find the perfect gift for my sister who is visiting from Canada this year.
Have a good one!
Thank you for the good advice, Patrice. I am experiencing those holidays blues full strength. I am hosting fourteen guests for dinner tonight and haven't finished cooking. Then my kids and their families will start arriving and I have to cook for the whole next week. I haven't written Christmas cards yet but bought most of the presents. And yet the daily routine cannot be ignored. So I'll take a deep breath and hope for the best.
Good advise Patrice, now how do I get myself to do it? (grin)
Have a good one and chin up my friend. Follow your own good advise!
Does tennis relax you?
I think I may skip the cards this year, I find a lot of my friends don't do it anymore.
Sad, because I heard from them then.
Good blog, Patrice. My daughter will be doing Christmas day with her in-laws a day's drive from me. Sharing is only right and fair but I have less direction since my parents died. I'm decorating because it makes me feel better, but this dreary weather doesn't help my spirits.
Excellent post, Patrice. This is a tough year for us with the recent loss of my dad. There are definitely ways to simplify.
Hi Patrice,
Very sensible advice for this time of the year. I think organization is the key to not getting yourself too frazzled, says she who isn't organized at all.
Mona - oh my gosh, I'm stressed just listening to you! LOL. So many people, so little time. Bless you and good luck!
Mary R - I do need to take this advice because I'm so down right now and can't stand myself!
Joanne - I'm sorry that this holiday is especially difficult with the loss of your father. Hang in there!
Mary M - I know how hard it is when the children no longer come home. Both my kids have babies and now they no longer visit very much, and won't be here for the holiday. My husband/partner is working so we can't visit over Christmas, but I did go to NJ to see my grand-daughters last week. So try to find some joy, even though it's not the same. Do you have Skype? It brings families closer together. I'll be using Christmas morning.
Margaret - Hello again. So nice to hear from you. How is the weather down under?? Happy holidays to you.
Great blog, Patrice. The holidays are hard for many reasons and wonderful for others. Your list is great and I like the idea of applying it to writing. Happy Holidays!!!
Thanks for the ideas. At least we can do cell phone calls. Now I'm waiting to see if I get asked to dog sit so my daughter and her hubby don't have to take the boys with them. We'll do our Christmas after Christmas.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your hubby. I kicked mine to the curb a while back.
Great advice, Patrice. I'm taking it one day at a time and slowly crossing stuff off my list. One thing I decided this year was to cut down on the cookie baking. I end up eating too many. LOL.
Here, here! Chin up and jolly good show! Buck up girls we will survive. It's just one little holiday! The good part for me is having two weeks off from school! I'm going to write, I am, I swear I will!