"I'm bored" " There's nothing to do" 
" We just don't seem to have as much fun as we used to" Is this what the beginning of your weekend sounds like, with family and friends all feeling a lack of excitement at the prospect of free time?
While running around during your day today
did you find a frenetic voice screaming at you "You're Late! You'll Never Get There On Time!" Or maybe " You Are So Far Behind, You Will Never Finish!" Or even the more subtle " I'm Starving, I Didn't Eat All Day!"
This screaming voice can dominate your life make you feel unworthy and out of touch. But there is a way to quiet that voice long before it has a chance to utter it's siren cry.
Is it all of the wonderful experiences we have had in ours lives? Is it the love of our friends and family? Is it the laughter and joy we have found along the way?The answer is yes; it is these positive experiences that make us who we are today. And... it is also how we have lived through and survived the tougher times.
Turkey, and stuffing, and cookies, and candy,
and latkes, and eggnog. All the holiday treats that make us feel like kids again.
Too many of these treats can also be a major factor in holiday stress. For most people, the holidays go hand in hand with too much fat, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, and not nearly enough sleep and exercise.
As the final step in reducing holiday stress it is important to try and eat as healthy as you can.
It's really hard to be on time during the busy holiday season. There seem to be long lines everywhere, at the checkout, at the gas station, at the post office. And traffic gets more challenging as Christmas gets closer.
Knowing how busy everything is during the holiday rush, the best way to not get stressed out is to be early.
Stress can put a heavy weight on to our ability to
truly enjoy the holiday season. But there is a special secret weapon we can use to lift that weight and make the holidays soar.
to find a new Christmas ornament for the tree each year. The search for the new ornament is a year long adventure and they are often found on vacations, craft fairs, or a trip to a unique artist studio.Each year as the ornaments are brought out to be hung on the tree, floods of memories fill the evening air with many a story or joke to accompany them.
So what are your unique holiday traditions?
In step three of having a stress free holiday, we talked about
getting some regular exercise every day. Just as important is step four, making sure to give yourself some down time, a special time that is just for you to be quiet with yourself.
So what makes you calm?
yourself sitting around eating good food and maybe sharing a drink together. Perhaps you sit around and watch movies with the kids or find yourself sitting for hours wrapping gifts and addressing holiday cards.And you wonder why you may feel sluggish, unfocused and stressed out.
You need to get up and Move IT. Every day!
As we look at the tools that can help you reduce stress during the holidays, it is time to explore that hectic schedule that you are busy creating for your holidays and really take a look at what is important to make your season bright. As I mentioned in part one of this series it is vital to realize that in truth we can only do one thing at a time and truly be present.
The hard truth is that you will probably have to choose to do less this year but the trade off is that you will be able to enjoy each thing more.
