With the gift-giving, the cooking, the decorations and the parties, the holidays can seem to be more like work than a vacation. We've asked the experts, and here's how to make the most of your holiday season.
1. Seek a fresh perspective. Make a change. Take one task that drives you crazy during the holidays and tackle it in a new way. A fresh approach just might make a difference. For example, if you dread having to send out holiday cards, enlist your husband and split the list.
2. Be satisfied with "good enough." "Don't always go for bigger and better," when planning your holiday, advises Loretta LaRoche, author of Life Is Not a Stress Rehearsal. "Does the tree have to be bussed in from the hinterlands of Alaska?" she quips. "Isn't a little bush enough?"
3. Throw away your shopping list. LaRoche forgoes the stress of shopping for family members in favor of sharing special moments and experiences. She may treat loved ones to a holiday show, for example, or breakfast at a fancy hotel. "Instead of having a package to rip open, we have this wonderful day together," she says.
4. Drop expensive, high-stress rituals. If you're dragging your kids off to see The Nutcracker—it's a tradition!—but they're whining every step of the way, make a switch. True, families thrive on traditions, but it's less about the event itself, which your kids may have outgrown, and more about time together. If your kids are complaining, drop expensive, high-stress rituals in favor of something simple and universally appealing, like a Christmas Eve chocolate-chip pancake feast.
5. Focus on what's most important. That massive pile of holiday cards needs to get mailed ASAP, but just the thought of it gives you writer's cramp? "Refocus on what's most important to you," says life coach Linda Hedberg. "If you're overwhelmed with dozens of cards to send out, ask yourself, Which are the 10 most important ones?" Send those and put the rest on the back burner. Or just send an e-card to everyone on your list. Bonus: It's eco-friendly!
6. Smell some lemons. Barreling through throngs of mall shoppers on the hunt for a last-minute gift? Step up to the department store perfume counter, peruse the testers and dab on a lemony fragrance. According to researchers at Ohio State University, lemon scents instantly boost your mood.
7. Remember to have fun. As you take part in trimming the tree or preparing the Chanukah cookies with your kids, take a deep breath and savor the moment. Give yourself permission to forget about all those tasks still left on your to-do list.
8. Choose travel-proof gifts. With security restrictions at airports being what they are, make it easy on yourself and give gift certificates. Or mail your gifts ahead of time. Rosemire orders gifts online or from catalogs and has the companies send them directly to her holiday destination. Either way, you'll save room in your suitcase.
9. Pack smart. Tuck everyone's sleepwear and toothbrushes in one easy-to-reach bag. That first night when you arrive at Grandma's house or another destination, you won't be fumbling through every suitcase before bedtime.
Source: womansday.com
