This reminded me that, often, women are the foundations, the unsung heroes, of the holiday seasonFor many us, the non-fictional holiday story goes like this: Every year, you
promise to get a better grip on the holidays but somehow, you always get caught
up in the stress of the season No wonder you get tense at this time of the
year You have a lot to do In the midst of planning parties, meeting year-end
deadlines, making travel arrangements, attending school concerts, baking
cookies, buying presents and doing a multitude of other tasks, you want to be
composed, have fun and not gain weightFollow this stress-prevention plan to experience a festive rather than frazzled
season1 Identify stress-relief toolsIt's easy to become so preoccupied with taking care of the daily urgencies of
the season -- the cooking, the visiting, and the organizing -- that no space,
time or energy is left for you When your needs and self-care fall to the bottom
of your list, this is a one-way ticket to a tired, cranky, impatient you The
best gift you can give your family and yourself this season is a healthy, happy
you The secret to making this happen is to give yourself permission to put the
quality of your own life at the top of your holiday wish list To do so,
identify three holiday stress-relief tools you can use to take better care of
you, such as taking a bath, practicing meditation, going out for a walk, reading
your favorite book, renting a video, sleeping in or performing breathing
exercises Write these ideas down and when you feel like you are reaching the
edge of comfort, make a pledge to engage in one or all three stress-relieving
activities2 Ask for helpAsking for help can be extremely difficult But if you don't request assistance
during the holidays you may find yourself at your wit's end If you think you
need to do it all, think again Acknowledge that support will ease your load and
make things happen faster Just becoming aware that you could use some
assistance and getting comfortable asking for it can be the toughest part But
once you get over your inhibitions of seeking support, you'll find that folks
really want to help you in your efforts to create a wonderful holiday season
Resist the temptation to go it alone or take on more than you can reasonably do
Draft a list of activities you want to commit to this season (nothing more) and
write the names of the people you'd like to help out Then start making calls3 Eliminate holiday stressorsYou know what and who they are -- the physical and emotional stressors that
consume a lot of your holiday energy and space This season, take a few minutes
to think about the things that may be a source of stress and list them all It
will feel so good to get these worries out of your head and down on paper Once
you've completed this "stressor inventory" make a conscious effort to eliminate
each one If you know cooking a traditional dinner for 25 is high on your list,
don't commit to it this year Either say no, ask another family member to host
or prepare that seafood buffet you always wanted to experiment with It is in
your control to say "yes" to the things that fulfill you and make your holidays
happy, and "no" to your "shoulds" and ''have tos"A joy-filled festive season awaits us all Choose what you want your personal
experience to be With the wisdom and power to create stress-free holidays, tap
into what you really want and give yourself permission to enjoy it And if you
are skeptical that no matter what you do, you'll still feel stressed out this
season, remember that you can always go on strike
About Lisa MartinLisa Martin, PCC, is the author of the acclaimed Briefcase Moms: 10 Proven Practices to Balance Working Mothers' Lives She lives what she writes and talks about Mother of a six year-old son, a certified executive coach with 20 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience, and the founder and president of Briefcase Moms®, she is all too familiar with the tug-of-war and challenges of work-life balance Lisa has helped thousands of career-oriented women and men define, establish and maintain work-life success via her proprietary learning systems - 90 Days to a Balanced Life and Briefcase Parent Solutions™ http://wwwbriefcasemomscom
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