Let’s Have

Less Holiday Stress!

 

             You feel it coming. . . Your head

starts to throb, your stomach gets upset and your palms begin to sweat. Could it be the cold and flu season? Not quite.  Welcome to another holiday season.  Try as you may, there’s just no getting away from it.

             Completing year-end deadlines, finding the perfect gift, or creating the most memorable family gathering can be a burden for anyone and can stress out the most even-keeled person. Stress and the holidays go hand in hand. But, there are ways to make your celebration tolerable and preferably enjoyable.

             The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has come up with some practical tips for helping you minimize the stress and survive your holiday activities.

· Recognize how you feel—feeling sad or upset due to distance away from family or a loss is normal. Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy.

· Ask for help-A stable support system consisting of family, friends and co-workers can provide you with comfort and companionship.

· Be flexible—Recognize that as families grow and change your usual holiday routine may change as well.  If your entire family can’t be together, consider alternate ways to celebrate—phone                                                                                   calls, digital photos by e-mail                                  or video are perfect ways to                                  share holiday cheer.

                                       * Worrying about money—                                             Determine the amount of                                             money you can spend on gifts                                          and then make sure you don’t                                          go over that limit. Buying                                            someone else’s happiness                                            with gifts will only cause un                                         happiness for you when the                                          bills start rolling in.

                                       * Perfection is overrated—We                                          all want to have a Martha                                            Stewart moment when the                                          holiday meal is served or the                                          gifts are opened.  Inevitably,                                          we forget something—the                                             dinner rolls, the gravy, the                                          shiny paper or the pretty bow.                                               Realize that things may not                                           go as planned and accept                                             those imperfections.

                                      

                                       Holidays, although meant to be a time of joy, can also be a time of stress. Keeping these two things balanced can help you survive...at least until next year.

Don’t Break the Bank

                      this Holiday season

 

             The holidays are just around the corner, and I’m sure you can already smell the gingerbread baking and hear “Jingle Bells” in your head as you pass the storefront windows, anticipating all the gifts that you will buy your loved ones this year.  Sounds perfect, right?  Well be careful, because before you know it, the New Year is here and you’re flat broke.  How did that happen so quickly?  Well, as harmless and simple as gift-giving may seem, most people are unaware of the total amount of money they actually end up spending around this time of the year.  Even if you don’t celebrate a holiday, most people still use this time to go on vacation with the kids or travel to see family members.  Whatever you choose to do, you still risk paying the price after this joyous time has concluded.

             Though it may seem early, you should be planning your holiday budget before summer is over!  Some experts even suggest starting your holiday budgeting as early as January.  Once you decide how much money you are willing to spend on each person, you will be able to set aside a realistic amount of money each month until the holiday shopping season begins.

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