Now that Halloween is over, the holiday season is merely weeks
away. You can already see it in all the stores. We went from seeing
black and orange for Halloween to gold, red, and orange for
Thanksgiving and green and red for Christmas are not far
behind.
Now that Halloween is over, the holiday season is merely weeks away. You can already see it in all the stores. We went from seeing black and orange for Halloween to gold, red, and orange for Thanksgiving and green and red for Christmas are not far behind.
During a traditionally joyful time of year, personal stresses run rampant. Most of us, despite all our efforts to remain calm, find ourselves caught up in the rush of the season.
My last article addressed exercise as a stress reducer. Although still the best method in my opinion (spoken like a true personal trainer), there are a number of other ways to keep holiday stress (or stress year round) to a minimum.
One effective way is to allow extra time to get where you are going. We, in Silicon Valley, are no strangers to traffic. And as you may have experienced as I have, a certain degree of anxiety that goes with it.
Whether you are going to work, an appointment, or to the mall, traffic can be frustrating. Plan for the delays. This way, if you get stuck, you will not worry. And if there are no delays, you will be on time, if not even a little bit early. This will also give you a sense of control over something that might otherwise seem uncontrollable.
Learn to say “no.” So many of us over-extend ourselves. Whether it is a project at work or another party invitation, if you do not have the time, or it will add undue stress to your life, do not say “yes.” It is very important for us to have down time in our days.
Take time out for yourself every day. Even if it is just for 10 or 15 minutes, disconnect yourself from the world. Do at least one thing you enjoy.
Check your breathing. When you are stressed, your breathing will be short and shallow. Think about taking long, deep breaths. If you do not get enough oxygen to your tissues, than muscle tension results.
Treat yourself to a massage. This is a wonderful way to relieve pent up tension in your body. Having someone physically warm up and release the knots out of your muscles creates a feeling of serenity.
Create order out of chaos. There is an old saying “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Studies have shown that an organized home or workplace has a correlation with stress levels. If things are where they belong, then you don’t have to go through the stress of losing them.
Remember, if something doesn’t get done today, most likely it will be okay if it gets done tomorrow. I’m not suggesting that its okay to procrastinate, but it is important to keep perspective on things.
Be realistic with your time. Do not over schedule your day. Allow yourself some breathing room between appointments, errands etc. Try not to book things back to back.
Do one thing at a time. Multi-tasking gets things done, although not as effectively as focusing on entirely on one project, finishing it, and then moving on.
Most importantly, do not worry about things over which you have no control. Worry causes unnecessary stress. Do what you can about what you can, and the things that you can’t will take care of themselves.
