Wednesday, December 22, 2021

10 Wonderful Ways to Relieve Holiday Stress! From the Heart

The Big Holiday many people have been waiting for is just around the corner. 

It's literally just days away and many people are feeling the stress building! Oh don't get me wrong, I'm sure everyone loves this holiday, but when the stress becomes so all encompassing, it's hard to enjoy it!

stress clock

What can you do to make this time of year the joyful and wonderful time it's supposed to be?  Well in my experience, I know I had put a lot of the pressure on myself and got caught up in all the things that could go wrong.  I needed help to see that my focus was in the wrong place!  Instead of focusing on the negative, I needed to focus on something positive and different.


So here are some of the things I do to help relieve that pressure:

  1. Wrapping things up can make me crazy.  I have two left hands but  I still want my packages to look nice!  Now I still do that, but I use gift bags to make the packing that much easier.  Dollar Stores are great help for this!  Inside each package goes a personalized note to the recipient, letting them know how much they mean to me! (It doesn't have to be long, just meaningful)
  2. Take lots of breaks,  drop everything and go for a 10 minute walk around the neighborhood.  When you get back you'll get twice as much done because you are  more relaxed.
  3. Take your phone with you and grab some festive pictures while out in the "hood".  Focus on Christmas decor, Dogs in their Christmas sweaters, People willing to smile at you, etc.
  4. Get physical and do someone a favor while you are out!  Do you have a neighbor that could use a little help?   Offer to do something for them (go to the store, shovel their walk, walk their dog, or ask them to join you for a cup of tea or coffee)  The gift of your time is priceless!
  5. Head out to a local church and just take a few steps inside the doors.  Go to a church/temple that you may never have been to before. (Check the internet for times, most places of worship will have some kind of schedule and extended hours)
  6. Take an hour or two and head to your local library.  Browse the shelves for something you might enjoy reading over the holidays.
  7. Turn up the music (not necessarily Christmas music, but something that you enjoy!  ABBA, the Beatles, Rolling Stones (am I dating myself?))
  8. Browse You Tube to learn a new dance.  Moving and getting your blood flowing are great ways to relief some stress.  Plus you could learn a few new moves along the way and share those with your family and friends (Even if it's just to laugh at yourself).  
  9. Sit back and watch a movie!  Again it doesn't need to be a Christmas movie, but one that you enjoy!
  10. If all this fails, then you can always take a nap!  Sometimes just resting your eyes can do wonders for your nerves and your anxiety. Close those eyes and say a little prayer so your focus is on something supernatural and divine.
When your stress  drops to a manageable level, you can restart what you were doing and probably accomplish more than if you had stayed with it.  Taking a break is a game changer for many people. Believe me, the holidays will come one way or the other, but if you are relaxed, they will be more enjoyable!

Learn to laugh and smile, what you share out in the world will come right back to you!

feet up on an ottoman next to a steaming cup of coffee

My hope for you is that you truly enjoy this Holiday Season to it's fullest!  May you have a lovely Christmas with your family and friends and may your New Year be Blessed with lots of Joy!






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13 comments:

  1. Great suggestions for slowing down and relaxing during this stressful and hectic time of year. Thanks Olivia. And Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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    1. Thank you Pat! Happy Holidays to you and yours as well!

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  2. Wonderful suggestions for relieving stress during the holidays! Like you, I would put the job of gift wrapping at the top of my list of stresses. The job never seems to get done. I really like your idea of making it easier with gift bags instead of boxes and paper. I also really like the idea of going for a walk. Something about fresh air just clears my mind and allows me to be more productive when I am back home. I've found as I get older, I have to pace myself with the holiday chores. What I used to be able to do in a day, I do a little at a time over a period of days now. Not getting physically exhausted truly helps me enjoy the holy days and focus on the real reason we celebrate. Merry Christmas to you and your family Olivia! May you be blessed with love, peace, and a stress-free holiday.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Miss Mouse. Yes, age definitely changes things. Productivity seems to decline quite quickly. But, when you are retired, you can pace those chores and all will get done! Merry Blessed Christmas to you and your family and Happy New Year too!

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  3. These are great stress relieving ideas to put into practice over Christmas and New Year! I never minded wrapping presents but last year we got those gift bags and they save so much time so are mostly using them from now on :) We love taking walks every day and it is good to take time out and enjoy the surroundings, we especially love watching all the festive lights. A great film is always good. Love your other suggestions as well! Happy Christmas!!

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    1. thank you Jasmine. May you be blessed during this Holy Season and Blessed in the New Year as well.

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  4. Olivia dear, these are wonderful and very effective suggestions! Most would also help reduce stress throughout the year, not just during the holidays. Wishing you and those you love a healthy, beautiful and blessed Christmas!

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    1. Thank you so much Margaret. May those you love find time to visit and enjoy the holidays with you and yours. May your New Year be blessed with all the good things life has to offer!

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  5. Olivia, these are all wonderful suggestions - I especially love, and have thought about doing number 5, 'stepping into a local church' - however COVID nervousness has prevented me from doing so - I really feel I need to just go to our church and sit quietly on my own for an hour or so; just for some spiritual energy and to reboost my inner peace, and especially for my mom. I miss it so much. There's so much going on in our home, that these quiet moments are among my favorite ones. Thank you for the list. Also your suggestion to walk around and snap photos or just take in the lights in the area would be lovely too - I do miss that as well. My knees are better, so I think I could try to do that one.

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    1. Oh I do hope that you get some time to spend in a church somewhere. There is nothing that lifts my spirits more than feeling that all encompassing compassion and love within the walls of my church. I hope you get to do #5 and some of the others too! Taking lots of pictures of friends and family is great too! We still have much to be thankful for!

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  6. Great suggestions for slowing down and taking a breath during these busy days. Hope you have a Merry Christmas Olivia.

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    1. Thank you so much Dawn Rae. May you be blessed as well during these times of High Holy Days.....and find a little time to relax too!

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  7. Others have said it ahead of me but what a fabulous ideas of ways to relieve stress at Christmastime. I see a few favorites but also a few new ideas. Stress is definitely not something we all need at anytime of year but especially at Christmas! That should be a time to relax with family and do the things we love.

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