9 Fantastic Formulas for a Stress Free Holiday!
9 Fantastic Formulas for a Stress Free Holiday!
The holidays are officially here. And so the season for giving begins. Warm loving intentions, thoughtful giving and stocking stuffing take over.It's a wonderful time of year, but with all the activities, excitement and family obligations taking place at the same time, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed and even a tad bit gloomy. Here are 9 simple steps to relax, let go and really enjoy a truly happy holiday!1. Reflect on what an inspiration you are to others. The time you spend, the love you give and the enthusiasm with which you do it all with is what matters most to people close to you. The beautifully wrapped presents and bows are far less important than your loving friendship. You are appreciated and cherished in the lives of so many people. Love yourself with the same appreciation.2. Be honest with yourself and don't stuff your feelings. As you start to feel range of emotions this holiday? whether it is joy or fear? frustration or liberation?Don't push them away like last season's Prada bag. Give them a special place. It will be far easier to enjoy the holiday if you are honest with yourself and experience all the good, bad and normal parts of life. Be as accepting and generous with yourself as you are with the people in your life you care about the most.3. Show empathy and compassion. Our internal perception is reality. Whenever you show kind hearted compassion, you'll get it back in return.4. Be grateful for all the wonderful differences, preferences and opinions that you will encounter this holiday. Try to view life from a different perspective. Talk about differences that may come up in a loving way and make a special effort to sit on the same side of the table (literally and figuratively). See if you can find it in your heart to love and appreciate Uncle Joe's crazy quirk that normally sends you through the roof. The joy and peacefulness of understanding another's perspective while still honoring your own is a feeling to be savored!5. Get plenty of sleep and squeeze in a few extra minutes to rest and relax. Sleep may seem like an indulgence this time of year, but it is absolutely essential to good health and a positive holiday outlook. Rest, slow-down and catch plenty of zzz's. Be decadent and treat yourself to 3 -5 minutes a day without any books, junk mail or return calls. Take time to breathe, relax, reflect and introspect. If you're feeling really sassy lie on your back and spread out in the middle of the living floor. Is 3 minutes of your day just for one month too much to ask?6. Try letting go and see what marvels happen! Let go of one small thing that's really been getting to you. Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen? Just for kicks, reflect back on a particularly stressful holiday situation last year. How bad was it really? Did worry consume you for nothing? I'm guessing that the turnout wasn't as bad as all the images swimming in your head. And, there may have even been a hidden blessing after all. In the scheme of things, our daily worries are trivial. Try to let them go? and go with the flow!7. Find opportunities throughout the day to bond and make a human connection. Make a conscious and loving effort to be attentive and live in the present moment. A sure fire quick way to work yourself up is to let your mind run a million miles an hour of things you could, should or would be doing. These random relentless thoughts will just make you anxious and nervous. Take the time to look into peoples' eyes; listen carefully to what they have to say and pass them a compliment about something you know is important to them. That goes for strangers too! You will enjoy your time together that much more? and so will they.8. Change up the scenery. Rather than going through your same daily routine, shake it up a bit! Close your eyes at night before you drift off and sleepily anticipate a self indulgent wild and crazy day. Roll out of bed on the opposite side. Light a scented candle in the bathroom and watch the flame flicker in the morning light. Crank up your favorite piece of inspiring music before you do anything else in the morning. Walk backward through the house. Try tea instead of coffee. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in ages. Talk to strangers! Take the scenic route home. Wave to the stressed out folks who cut you off on the freeway. What else can you think of that could change up your scenery and shake some smiles out of you?9. Treat yourself as you would treat others. Write yourself a love note. Buy yourself fresh stems of flowers. Soak your feet. Valet park the car. Have your groceries delivered. Send your undies to the cleaners. Snuggle with a blankie. Take a long walk. Sleep in. Watch the sunset. Sing yourself a love song. Do all the things for yourself you wish others would do for you!Enjoy the most fabulous holiday season of all times!julie@shesite.com
714-834-1137Julie Hunt is a female icon and founder of SHE, the foremost inspiration and personal development resource for women who want to live brilliant, happy, successful lives. Marketing consultant, sales expert, copywriting guru, improvisational actress, yoga instructor, author and just plain cool chick? she's an inspiration to hundreds of women.She is on a mission to scream, skip, advise and acquaint with women around the globe who want live a vivacious life busting at the seams!
Tips For Less Holiday Stress
Tips For Less Holiday Stress
Holiday Stress? Some Tips For Having LessWe all dream of having wonderful holidays. We start each day full of the spirit of the season. We look at the lovely fresh fallen snow, and marvel at the beauty of the world. But lets face it - life can be stressful. By the time we get the kids up, dressed, and fed, referee a few morning scuffles, find lost homework, binkies, and keys, field a few phone calls, dig out the car, make our way through morning traffic, and try to get some Christmas shopping done at the local Target, the good feeling is... well, gone. The joy and magic of the season can easily be overshadowed by obligations, responsibilities, credit card spending gone mad, and, of course, relatives. If any of this is sounding familiar, you might be asking yourself - How could we end the madness? Well, here are some tips to make the season a little jollier - or at least less cranky.* Adjust your outlook: Your perspective is the looking glass through which you see the world. It is central to how you experience emotions, situations, and life in general. By shifting your perspective you can, in effect, change you experience. This is your life - put a positive spin on things - what have you got to loose but the blues!* Simplify your life: Get organized, try to cut down on clutter, and prioritize your tasks. Many dreaded obligations are self-imposed. Remember you really don't have to do everything.* Practice extreme self care: Make time to do what you love - take in a movie, go to a museum, curl up with a book or take a long hot bubble bath. Pamper yourself! This is your life - enjoy it! Don't worry - the dishes aren't going to pack up and leave town. Get plenty of sleep - exhaustion is a main factor in stress - and don't over indulge. Enjoy all the holiday goodies, but do so in moderation. Add some moderate exercise and you'll be healthier and have more energy.* Be thankful for the little things: Practice loving the simple things in life; playing games with your children, taking a walk on a snowy winter morning, or cuddling with your honey after everyone's in bed. When we open our hearts to happiness, we often find that it's all around us.* Make peace with flexibility: Celebrate you successes and let the rest slide. Learn to go with the flow. Take a breath, relax. Don't sweat the small stuff.* Embrace the spirit of the holidays: Greet each day with the holiday spirit and fill your life with kindness, compassion, gratefulness and love.Yes, there will still be hectic moments and stressful events, but you control the extent to which you respond to them. Open yourself to the possibility that the holidays can be joyous, and you might just find yourself whistling along with some of those Christmas carols.Deborah Martin is a mother, writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her partner & son.About The AuthorDeborah Martin is a mother, writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her partner & son.www.rightpathcoaching.com; dm@rightpathcoaching.com
Vacation Is One Way To Run Away From Stress During Pregnancy
Vacation Is One Way To Run Away From Stress During Pregnancy
What should you do to have a happy pregnancy? Many things you could do, but what most pregnant women rarely do is having a vacation. Get a life and try to relax a little bit. Or take an extended weekend just to refresh and recharge your batteries.Downtime is very important, and in a world where nearly all of us are tied to cell phones and lap tops, even away from the office, it is good to get away from it all from time to time. Having time to walk along the beach or play golf or even to stay inside and read a great book without interruptions can help us recharge our batteries.When the baby comes, your number one job is to be Mom. So, you will not have much time for yourself, at least not in the beginning when the baby depends on you for everything. Capitalize on those spare moments of highly valued free time now.When you are refreshed, you are more effective and productive anyway. You will also be easier to get along with, and it will be easier for you to deal with others (even the difficult ones!).You are not a slacker for needing time off. Enjoy spending time with your spouse, too, in these nine months, since the second the baby arrives, it will become the number one priority for both of you. Even so, do not let your relationship with your spouse become a low priority. Otherwise, you may look up five or ten years from now and realize you no longer know the man who fathered your baby.Keep romance alive. Go on regular, standing dates, even it they are on Tuesday nights. Leave the baby with a sitter and enjoy some adult time away from Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer. It is important to realize that as much as you are a mother, you are also a wife. And you need to build a life for yourself so that when baby grows up, you still have meaningful things and people around you.About the author:Sara Jameson writes her experiences in "The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression." Read her secrets and truths about having a happy, healthy pregnancy at http://www.you-know-you-are-pregnant.info and http://www.pregnancy-question.info