Five Strategies for Reducing Stress

This Season

Before the holiday season kicks into high gear, November is a good month to assess upcoming events and implement effective strategies for reducing stress. No doubt, we all have parties and family gatherings looming in the future, not to mention the must-do shopping, holiday baking, and home decorating that make celebrations so festive. But when it all comes crashing down on us within a month's time, the overload can be a tremendous burden on our nervous systems-and on our moods and budgets. This weight can dampen our joy and leave us feeling drained.

So what can you do now to reduce holiday stress before sliding into an irreversible frenzy? Plan. Plan. Plan.

Here are some steps for preventing burnout before it gets a grip:

1. Anticipate the Future
Give a good, hard look at your calendar to anticipate upcoming events. Based on previous years' bookings, what would you like to change this time around? Will your work schedule and family life fit into a calendar that's likely to bulge with added commitments? Will you be busy every minute of the day and night? This is the time to anticipate what's coming in the near future and decide on what you'll truly want to do-or not want to do-in the weeks ahead. Your work party may be a must, but your neighbor's get-together might need a pass. Politely declining an invitation is okay-and sometimes necessary in order to maintain equilibrium. If guilt is an issue, send a small gift as a token of thanks for the invitation.

2. Make Your List, Then Make it Smaller
Put a list together now for shopping. Perhaps this year you can whittle down the names in an effort to simplify. Begin discussions with family members to let them know that your desire is to reduce the shopping burden. Many families have found this approach to be effective: Everyone's name goes onto a slip of paper and then the papers go into a jar or bag. Each member pulls one name out; this person will be the recipient of a gift. That's it. You can even limit the amount of money to spend on presents.

3. Keep the Season Green
Make the holiday season "green"-beyond a fragrant pine tree. Many Americans have more than they need, from toys and trinkets to clothing and consumer goods. Let this year be one of reduction. Does your beloved aunt really need another sweater? Perhaps she'd love a basket filled with organic goodies for baking. Do the kids really need more plastic toys that eventually get tossed into a landfill after they break? This can be a season of positive change. Educational books, gardening kits (with packets of seeds), museum memberships, and gift certificates for classes offer good alternatives to traditional holiday purchases.

4. Eat to Boost Your Immune System
Eat well prior to the holiday season and keep your portions small once you're into the party circuit. The immune system is affected by all kinds of stressors, including poor sleep and nutrient-deficient diets. Keep your meals well-balanced with plenty of organic foods that provide good calories, vitamins and fiber. With a fortified body and strong immune system, the stressors that come with the holidays will have less negative impact.

5. Make a Date with Yourself
Pencil-in time for renewal. Right now your calendar may not be jam-packed with social commitments, but you can bet in the upcoming weeks it will definitely fill up. Strategize now for building in time for yourself: a yoga class, a facial, a pedicure or massage. Anything to help you remain centered and feeling healthy. Making a date with yourself is an act of self-care and allows you to be a better giver to others when you're revitalized.

Holidays can be joyful when you have energy to socialize, or they can be pressure-packed when rounds of activities keep you on a nonstop treadmill. It all depends on how you plan. Decide to have fun with what you choose to do. Laughter, singing, cooking and spending time with friends and loved ones all reduce stress. Let November be the springboard for strategizing for a great holiday season. It's only weeks away and yet it comes upon is in a blink, which means preparation now helps with the overload that may come later.

Sarojni Mehta-Lissak is a freelance writer from Long Beach, California. Her work has appeared in Midwifery Today, Mothering, BackHome, GRIT, Organic Family, EnergyTimes and other publications. Visit her at: http://www.sarojnimehta-lissak.com/

11/05/07  By Sarojni Mehta-Lissak