Are you suffering from Holiday stress?
It would be surprising if you are not feeling overwhelmed by the end of the year. There seems to be so much to do!
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How do we get overwhelmed?
Why do we get overwhelmed with the Holiday Season?
Even if you aren’t Christian, there is so much going on at the end of the year; Thanksgiving in the USA, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, and of course the secular Christmas, and New Years Eve celebrations. All of which require us to be happy, gift-giving, spending time with people we don’t like, and create lots and lots of food.
If you have children you also have: end of term concerts, end of term report cards, end of term plays and a multitude of Christmas crafts – and that is only at school. Every club or activity will also have its end of year celebration and as adults we are expected to attend, provide and support our children.
Why is work more stressful at the end of the year?
If we work outside the home it is often also end of year for many companies which may mean budgets, kpi’s (key personal indicators) reports, covering vacations, and finishing up the year’s projects. In short getting rid of everything on your desk to start afresh in the New Year.
How do I deal with Holiday perfectionism?
For most women, we take so many ‘shoulds’ on ourselves.
- There is the Office Christmas Party to attend or two, if you have a partner, – this can include extra pressures like buying a new dress, a trip to the hairdresser and manicurist, and wearing heels once a year without falling over and looking good.
- the work gift exchange,
- the secret Santa,
- The Elf on the Shelf,
- Thanksgiving and Winter decorations to find and put up,
- Greeting cards to buy and send
- We have cookies to bake,
- cakes to make.
- we need find the perfect gifts, wrap them, and then remember to mail them.
- We have to provide the perfect Christmas meal,
- We are expected visit with family members we normally can’t stand.
- Putting on the perfect show, with the perfect children, the perfect day.
- And if you are Christian, there are also the church carol concerts, the sunday school play, the obligatory attendances. …
- And we are expected to look HAPPY while doing all this!
No wonder we get overwhelmed!
And what happens when we get overwhelmed? We get stressed, and stress leads to negative behaviours like nail-biting, and yelling at our families.
Tips to make your Holiday cooking less stressful.
How to deal with Holiday Perfectionism.
How I avoid Stress over Christmas.
For me Christmas and the winter solstice combine with Seasonal Affective Disorder to make it a difficult season at the best of times.
Our Christmas has evolved over the years since SAD was not going to go away. Our Christmas dinner is usually very simple. After several years of burning meals and lots of swearing in the kitchen, I now buy a frozen turkey roll that you can cook from frozen, and throw it in the oven at the appropriate time followed by a Christmas pudding. In the past we have booked at a restaurant for Christmas dinner which is fun but expensive, but there is no washing up to do, and you have lots of other people around you. No awkward family members to negotiate 🙂 There was a time where I bought gifts for all my siblings, my siblings spouses, my friends and all their respective children. Not any more. Even then I would buy from somewhere that would gift-wrap and ship for a nominal cost. I still do the same thing but I send each family one big family gift rather than lots of small ones.. Repeat after me, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
I hereby give you permission to buy the cookies, skip the parties, and have a very simple day. Do it YOUR way.
Happy Holidays.
GBD
