As a kid, I loved the holiday season. I loved spending time with family, cozy sweaters, card games, presents, yummy meals and the special traditions. Those magical, warm-fuzzy feelings that the holidays bring are a treasure.
However, as an adult, I definitely see this season from a different perspective! I never knew how crazy hard my parents had to work to plan all the outings, cook all the food, buy all the presents, attend all the events and decorate! Now I’m a mom of four and I’ve been through 15 of holidays with kids - so I get it. Holidays as an adult can be stressful.
A Few Holiday Stressors
First you have the stress of the schedule. Time is crunched. Kids have activities and parties, then there are work events, charitable events, family get-togethers, friend gatherings, shopping, preparing, and more! It can be really hard to feel the pressure of needing to do all the things and be at all the places.
You also have relational stress. Sometimes these events put you in a room with people that you’re not in a good place with or a triggering memory comes up during family dinner. Being tired and worn out is hard on marriages.
And all these things cost money! So, without careful planning and stewardship your finances can get all out of whack, overstretched and depleted. That’s yet another layer of stress.
Stress and Your Health
There is an amount of stress that is normal and that your body can handle well. However, we aren’t meant to be in a chronic state of stress. So, prolonged stress can set off a chain of unhealthy reactions in your body. When your body has more stress that it can process well over time you can become more susceptible to disease, your hormones can get out of whack, your emotional health can suffer, you may start to gain weight and look older, your immune system will decline and there are a host of other physical symptoms. For me, my stress shows up in mental anxiety, chest pain, shortness of breath and irritability.
The point here is, most people are already experiencing an excess of stress in their lives, we don’t need to add to that over the holidays! It’s important for our long term health.
Enjoying a Low-Stress Holiday!
Learning how to manage stress well through the holiday season has been a HUGE piece of me truly enjoying it again. I have learned to manage expectations that I put on myself and others put on me. I’ve learned to work within a holiday budget. The intentionality I have put into this has been so worth it! I know you can get there, too.
I’m giving you all my tips on managing stress this time of year in a free pdf download!
You will get all “Three Keys to a Healthy Holiday!” - covering mindful eating and moving your body as well! I hope that it brings you back to that warm-fuzzy feeling that the holidays can bring.
Best wishes,
Melisha
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