Many of us love this holiday season (I know...some of you don't) and want to make better and better memories each year. While I'm all for the great memories, I'm also for low stress and simplicity. The holidays don't have to be meticulous, overdone, or fancier than the neighbors to be great. That's easy to say, I know, but putting it into practice can sometimes be hard. We want every holiday to be the best yet! What is one thing you can do to help lower the stress of the holidays and to enjoy them more? Know the hazards ahead of time. If you know what your pitfalls are, they are easier to avoid. Last year we were sent a great graphic about the Hazards of Holidays, but we were unable to use it in time. This year, we definitely want to get it up with plenty of time. So without further ado, I give you The Hazards of Holidays (I know...these are mostly geared towards Christmas, but you can apply them to Thanksgiving and New Years as well):
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| by MastersInHealthcare.com |
This isn't a graphic to scare you into being a Scrooge or not celebrating. It's here as a heads up. Don't let these hazards take over your holiday. Normally feel stressed with the holidays? Did any of these jump out at you and make you go, "Yeah! Me too!"? Focus on minimizing that stress this year. Say no to parties if you have to. Go homemade with all your gifts if money is tight. Stay home with your own family if the extended family affairs are more than you can normally handle happily. It's okay to do the holidays your own way! They are here as celebrations, not as downers. So celebrate and enjoy!
I dread the relatives thing....it was so much easier when I was on the west coast! No familial obligations. Now that I'm back east, everyone wants a piece of us and I just want to be left alone.
ReplyDeleteI haven't lived near relatives in 30 years and can count on one hand the number of times I've traveled for Christmas. Wow, do I not miss it! I can see them during other times of the year that don't involve driving through the rural Midwest in heavy snow, thank you very much. Don't get me wrong: I love my family. I even like most of them. But I don't want to spend the holidays on the road.
DeleteI dread the holidays because we don't celebrate it like at all, in recent years. Last year there wasn't a celebration beyond me and my friends. No one thought to even make a card, or use one of the million of blank ones we have each year. We were so poor and hadn't realized how tight things were until we were in December...sitting all day Christmas day alone in my room seriously sucked. I'm stressing this year because I don't want a repeat. It wasn't the gifts, it was the lack of fun or celebration.
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