Episode 40: 3 Ways to Manage Holiday Stress

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 Do you ever feel like the holidays bring something out in you but not in a good way? Does your stress level rise during the holidays? I know mine does.

In all reality I love the holidays! I Love to decorate, bake and have family time. together. I love looking for the perfect gift, online shopping and family get togethers.

But getting together can be stressful too. Do you ever feel that way? You are not alone. There are many reasons that the holiday season can trigger you. They can take an emotional toll, have you showing up in ways you are not proud of and unfortunately they may become something you dread instead of enjoy.

It is Supposed to be About the Savior

While this season is meant to bring feelings of love and cheer and a remembrance of our Savior, it also brings holiday stress, depression and a whole lot of demands. In fact, I saw a statistic that was pretty crazy. It said that more than 80% of people find the holiday season to be ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ stressful.

This is because there are so many things to be done during a short amount of time. Sometimes not having enough time for everything you want to do can cause stress.

Also, if you have the pressure to create the perfect holiday environment, please and serve everyone else, or have so much on your plate then your priorities can get lost in the shuffle.

A study I found said that the most stressful parts of the holiday season are:

• Gift shopping
• Crowds and lines
• Cleaning
• Knowing what to get people
• Cooking

Can you relate?

You might also feel stressed if your holiday plans will look different again because of the pandemic we are still experiencing. That’s why I wanted to talk about the three most effective ways to manage holiday stress this year.

I want you to be able to manage that stress so you can enjoy your holiday season and connect with the Savior in a way you haven't in the past. The holidays are going to be stressful for all the reasons we just talked about, but if we can learn to manage the stress when it comes, we can have more enjoyment. Remember, stress is not preventable, but it is manageable.

Recognize and Combat

The first way is to learn to recognize and combat holiday triggers. Knowing what will be triggering to you during the holidays is the first step. If you don’t know what will be triggering, it will be difficult to combat them.

Once you know what those triggers are, you will want tools to combat those triggers.  Learning to combat them is vital to making sure you can enjoy the holidays. When you have those tools accessible you are able to more full manage the most stressful moments.

Actually, one of my specialties is combating mental triggers and defusing them so that you aren’t being set off as often.  I offer multiple coaching programs that help you learn the tools you need to do just that.

Set Realistic Expectations

The second way to manage holiday stress is to set and execute realistic expectations. Being realistic, planning ahead and seeking support can help ward off stress.

The holidays don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As your family changes and grows, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones.

Being able to identify what you want to do ahead of time can help you see what is possible and what might need to be taken out. Although, sometimes deciding what to take out can be stressful in and of itself. This is when realistic expectations is of upmost importance.

Clear the Stress From Your Mind and Body

The third way to manage holiday stress is to learn tools to clear stress from your mind and body.  I specialize in a modality called Mind Body Bridging that helps you understand how your thoughts affect your body and vice versa.

You may not realize this, but stress affects us physically and mentally but it is caused by the thoughts we are having. Our thoughts are so powerful that they can help us to create many wonderful connections in our lives or create many disconnections in our lives.

When our minds and bodies are working on the same team we feel that peace in our minds in mental clarity, focus and calm. We also feel that peace in our bodies and get energy, rest and physical healing.

The key is to learn skills that unite our minds and bodies and bridge them together so we can access that peace mentally and physically when stress arises. There are many tools out there that can help you clear stress from your mind and body.

Learning those tools is vital to your enjoyment this holiday season! 

Show Up As Your Best Self

I think so many times we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and our well intentioned plans of focusing on the Savior go out the window.  If you can learn to manage your holiday stress you will better be able to focus on the Savior and bring His light into this season. 

So Let’s get you showing up as your best self this holiday season so you can enjoy a stress free holiday. I have something that will help you do just that!

I have put together a Managing Holiday Stress Workshop for you. It is a 90 minute workshop to learn to recognize and combat holiday triggers to reduce your feelings of stress and worry. You will also learn to set and execute realistic expectations to more fully enjoy your time this season. The workshop will also include the incredible Mind Body Bridging that I teach in my coaching courses.

Are you ready to enjoy the holiday season stress free? Are you ready to learn how to combat those holiday triggers, set realistic expectations and clear stress from your mind and body?

The investment for the workshop is $25 but a lifetime of skills to help you with any stress in your life. If you are ready to invest in YOU this holiday season then get started right away with the Managing Holiday Stress Workshop.