Tag: holiday time

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t quite believe Thanksgiving hits this week here in the US. It’s early this year, which is part of it, but also it just doesn’t seem like it should be Thanksgiving. It doesn’t feel like we should be this close to 2019 or Christmas or…any of it! But I’m still really excited about the holiday – seeing our extended families, relaxing over movies and games and old stories that really don’t need to be told again. And, I’ll be doing a little writing. Which brings me to my point: the holidays can and will get stressful from time to time, no matter how hard you try to keep the stress at bay. Here are a few tips to get through the season with as little stress as possible.

First, set designated working time. It can be tempting to go have breakfast or head outside with the kiddos first thing in the morning. The problem with that is that those few minutes have a tendency to turn into a whole morning and then more activities in the afternoon and pretty soon your stressing out because you haven’t done any of the work you’d planned. Setting aside an hour or so each morning will help you meet your goals – for work and for family time!

Second, disconnect. It can be tempting to check social media or email just one more time. Don’t do it. Put your phone or tablet in another room during family time so you can soak in those moments with your kids, nieces, and nephews!

Third, get outside. Sure, it’s cold in a lot of areas. Embrace the season by getting outside. Take a walk or a hike with the kids, play football with your cousins, aunts, and uncles. Drink hot cocoa and wear layers and mittens and cute boots. We sit at our computers all the time, and that puts stress on our bodies. Getting up, getting outside helps to relieve those desk-stresses – and might also spark a few new ideas.

What about you? Do you have any tips for relieving stress during the holidays?