Its that time of year. The Christmas Holidays are upon us. Whether you love it or dread it, you have to
admit, there are certain stressors you just can't avoid.So…
Prepare for all of those things you KNOW are going to stress you and plan how you will deal with them. Here are some examples.
1.
Not enough time:
try to be efficient, multi-task, pick up a gift if you are in a particular part of town, even if you are just on your way to work, or to a luncheon with friends.
If you haven't discovered gift bags yet, they are great. No wasted time wrapping, buying paper, etc. And they are reusable. Its like giving TWO gifts.
2. No parking spaces:
(You can try using a parking angel, asking for a space just before you get to where you want to park. It works for me about 80% of the time)
who cares if you park far away from the store or mall entrance. Its good exercise
if you are driving around trying to find a closer spot when farther spots are available, you not only waste
time (see #1 stressor), you're also wasting gas.
Remember to dress warmly, in case you do have to hoof it a ways, and your body uses more calories when its trying to keep you warm.
3. Long lines:
They're going to happen. Expect the worst. Then if they aren't bad, you can actually feel good about.
Occupy yourself while in line. Don't pay attention to the people ahead of you and what they are doing. It may drive you crazy.
Go over your mental list of what you have yet to do, work on your efficiency.
Enjoy the holiday music that's playing; or take a cue from the younger generation and load your MP3
player with relaxing music and stick that in your ears.
Eat lunch between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. The lines are shorter and you won't waste a lot of time waiting to be seated. (See #1 again)
4.
Obnoxious shoppers & rude or non attentive sales clerks:
They are out there. You can't avoid them. Just don't let them ruin YOUR mood. Chalk it up to their
ignorance, their inability to deal with their own stress.
DON'T BECOME ONE OF THEM.
5. Pain:
Foot and leg pain:
Wear comfortable shoes. Nobody cares how gorgeous your feet look when you're shopping in a crowded mall or store. If you want to go the distance, you have to treat your feet the way you'd like to be treated.
Neck and shoulder pain:
If you have a lot of packages, make an extra trip to the car (don't forget to put packages in trunks out of sight) or use lockers where they are available.
If you carry a small piece of luggage as a purse, think twice. Do you need EVERYTHING in that purse to go shopping? If so, don't carry it on the same shoulder all the time. Most of my clients who have
neck and shoulder pain over the holidays, I can attribute to the purse they carry around and how they carry it.
Headaches:
Keep yourself hydrated. NOT with caffeine. Caffeine will increase your irritability and lead to even more
stress. Caffeine free drinks are fine, but water is best. (If you have to carry that heavy purse, throw in a bottle or two of water. You'll drink it if only to lighten the load.
Have a wonderful and "nearly" stress free holiday season. Best wishes to you and yours!!!
