![\"ID-100234439\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2015\/06\/ID-100234439-300x200.jpg\")
It\u2019s only the beginning of December and already people are talking about how stressed they are! Our reasons for stress are legitimate. There are family get togethers, cooking and baking, decorating, meal planning, parties, gifts to buy, financial strain and more. The pace of life picks up this time of year.<\/p>\n
Pause, and consider a few holiday stress busters to make this season the most wonderful time of the year!<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be realistic about what you can do.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Slow down, evaluate your time and only take on what you can truly handle. Consider your situation. If you are financially strapped, cut back. If your health isn\u2019t good, say NO to activities and get rest. If you recently divorced or lost a loved one, give yourself alone time to grieve. You don\u2019t have to do it all or do everything you did in years past.<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Try to maintain a routine.<\/strong>\u00a0If you exercise, keep going to the gym. Or take time to walk the dog every day. Eat at regular times and get enough rest. Your physical care will go a long way to combating stress.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When it comes to family, don’t create conflict.<\/strong>\u00a0The busyness of the season often leaves us more raw in our emotions and we are more susceptible to irritation and agitation. Thus, I recommend you practice a little peace on earth and table the family issues for another time. Address problems when they arise, but this is not the time of year to dig in to long standing issues. Most of us just don\u2019t have the patience given the busyness of the season. And do your best not to create new conflict.<\/p>\n 4) Slow down.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you feel your heart racing and your mind in overdrive, take a break. Get a cup of hot tea and relax with a magazine or book, take a walk and clear your head, get a massage, sit in a hot tub and soak for 20 minutes\u2013just stop and regroup. Meditate on a few scriptures and take time to pray. Start and end your day with a devotional reading.<\/p>\n 5) If there is too much to do, don\u2019t do it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Drop out of parties if there are too many. Don\u2019t send Christmas cards this year if you can\u2019t work it in. Buy\u00a0your dessert instead of making it. Pick one or two things that could be dropped from the endless TO DO list. The world as you know it will not fall apart.<\/p>\n Now take a deep breath! Relax! Enjoy your family and friends! Embrace December!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s only the beginning of December and already people are talking about how stressed they are! Our reasons for stress are legitimate. There are family get togethers, cooking and baking, decorating, meal planning, parties, gifts to buy, financial strain and more. The pace of life picks up this time of year. Pause, and consider a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[925],"tags":[2647,4127,681,2644,17,2091],"class_list":["post-9772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mintle-mentions","tag-family-problems","tag-holiday-busyness","tag-holiday-stress","tag-overwhelmed","tag-stress-2","tag-stress-busters"],"yoast_head":"\n