Article:
Minimize stress and Maximize joy this holiday season
By: Roslyn Franken
It’s November and the
holiday season buzz is already starting. Office
parties are nearing, decorations will soon go up, and the flurry of holiday advertising on
radio, television, newspapers and in flyers, malls and shops will soon be upon us. It is a magical time of year with all its festive
tradition, however, with all the hustle and bustle it is also a season when many people
find themselves overwhelmed, overstressed and overtired.
On top of your regular daily
responsibilities, you must now start thinking about gift buying, planning family
gatherings, deciding on holiday dinner menus and getting your holiday baking done. This all takes time and energy, which for most of
us are two very precious commodities nowadays.
If not managed properly, you
could create the type of stress and anxiety that could easily lead to comfort eating and
associated weight gain and depressive mindset. With
all the extra socializing, holiday treats and alcohol readily available, it can be even
more difficult to eat properly especially if you’re overstressed and overtired.
Let’s look at some key ways to minimize your stress levels for a healthy holiday
season.
1.
GET ORGANIZED – Avoid leaving
everything to the last minute. By steadily
procrastinating what you want to get done you will likely find yourself scrambling once
again trying to find that perfect gift for your loved one, running around trying to put
together the perfect meal and being overly-frustrated when things don’t happen the
way you want them to. Instead, get yourself
organized starting today by writing out a list of all that needs to be done. Then prioritize the list starting with what is most
important and immediate and set yourself a reasonable schedule so that you do a little bit
every week instead of letting it all pile up. Set
small daily and weekly goals of what you want to get done and be happy with what you
accomplish.
2.
REACH OUT FOR HELP – There is
often this sense of martyrdom amongst women especially who run themselves ragged with all
the holiday responsibilities. I hear it all
the time, “Did you get your Christmas baking done?” “Did you get all your Christmas shopping
done?” It’s a tradition it seems to
ask these questions as a way to relate to one another.
It’s as though we want to hear that the other person is as behind schedule as
we are. The question is WHY do we feel that we
have to do it all on our own? Why not create
the To-Do list and schedule as a family and assign roles and responsibilities? Get the
whole family involved.
3.
LET GO OF YOUR NEED FOR PERFECTION
– If
you’re always seeking perfection then it may be difficult for you to rely on others. Learn to trust others to do their jobs and if they
don’t do it exactly as you would, let it go. Learn to be flexible and adaptable and
relieve yourself of the burden of trying to be so darn perfect all the time. If your health and well-being is going to suffer
for it, then it just isn’t worth it.
The biggest gift you can give
yourself this holiday season is the gift of kindness.
Be kind to your body and yourself and follow these tips to minimize stress and
maximize joy for your holiday season.
Roslyn Franken is
a proud cancer survivor and acclaimed author of The A List: 9
Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living and Death Can Wait: Stories from Cancer Survivors. She is a motivational speaker and host of the How to Thrive after 35 internet radio
show. Roslyn also offers one-on-one coaching by telephone and
email conveniently accessible world-wide. For more information, send email to info@roslynfranken.com or visit www.roslynfranken.com.
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Roslyn
Franken is author of The A List: 9 Guiding
Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She is a Weight Loss Coach and
Motivational Speaker on positive living solutions for positive results for greater health,
success and quality of life. She hosts How to
Thrive After 35 Internet Talk Radio and is co-author of Death Can Wait: Stories from Cancer Survivors.
Diagnosed
with cancer at age 29, Franken fought back to become a long-term cancer survivor. Then at
age 39, at her heaviest weight ever, and concerned for her health, she decided to fight
back once again, only this time to overcome her battles with food and weight once and for
all.
Roslyn
owns Roslyn Franken Group, committed to helping people lighten up their lives one bite at
a time by reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, balanced lifestyle, and positive
outlook.
For
more information, visit www.roslynfranken.com
or view her video at http://www.roslynfranken.com/highlights.wmv
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