November and December can be an extremely anxious time! Whether you’ve burned the turkey, or you’re arguing with your in-laws, many of us grow to dread a time that is supposed to be about celebrating others! With Thanksgiving especially close, we want to give you a few tips on how to maximize your stress threshold. What can you do during the holiday season to save your sanity, AND enjoy the good times, memories, and family? We’ve found that the best thing you can do is take a little time for yourself!
While this may seem counter-productive during a time in which you are expected to make everyone else happy, taking some alone time for yourself will often give you more energy throughout the rest of the day. When you’ve already had some exclusively “you” time, the feelings of exhaustion or even bitterness towards those around you will often fade away.
So what can you do during this time alone? Read the three tips below to get you started!
Tip #1 – DON’T feel bad about it! A lot of the time, we tend to chastise ourselves for wanting to take a little time off. Make sure you remember, this time is ultimately for the better of those around you! Maximizing your energy with a little time alone will ensure your friends and family get the best “you” possible.
Tip #2 Don’t succumb to multi-tasking temptations! During your “you” time, you may start to get distracted or feel tempted to do a little work. Remember, this time is important for you! If you allow holiday work to infiltrate, the time hasn’t done you any good. Focus your mind on yourself, and try to lower those stress levels to a cool zero.
Tip #3 Do something you like! When we think of alone time we often think of sitting still in a quiet room with a book, however, this is not the only way! While reading a book does make a great quiet time; if you aren’t much of a reader, or you just don’t like to sit still, it will only lead to more anxiety. If you’d like to go for a walk, get outside! If you’d like to do a little bit of shopping, buy yourself a new purse. You can do whatever you’d like, just remember to focus on yourself for a while.
Remember, this Holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy friends and family. Of course, it feels good to serve others, but remember that you are not always going to be perfect. Set aside a little alone the for yourself, and remember that your friends and family would rather you be happy than stressed over having the “perfect” presents, food, or vacations planned.
