GOT holiday anxiety? Read THIS
How to Crush your Anxiety During the Holidays
12/8/2021 by Chris Cobb
The end to another year approaches. If there’s a good time to stress about money, this is it. Many of us enjoy the holidays, but even though we may enjoy the principle of being in a room fit for 4 people where there are at least 15 to 20 instead (or can’t breathe just thinking about it), we can also have a whole lot of stress about money and many other factors around this time. I tend to worry about how I’m going to tell everyone I need to leave after I’ve had enough of my mother bickering about my aunt to me under her breath while Auntie is on the other side of me talking about how bad of a cook mom is. How to escape without having to talk to 25 people one by one before I make it out the door… Whether it’s money, family feuds, the need to get to Walmart before being trampled to death on Black Friday, here are a few things I do to put a bit less of a damper on my own holiday experience.
- Proper Preparation:
The most important key factor in keeping my cool is preparing for what I’m about to do, before I do it. I’ve asked questions and acquired answers from life coaches in the past and currently do the same when there’s something I need help in dealing with. One of the best pieces of advice I retain to this day is the practice of proper preparation. So, when I know that things like changing seasons, family get-togethers, and holidays happen EVERY YEAR, I brace myself by spending less money on frivolous things, knowing I need to at the very least, buy my son something he’ll cherish for at least a month or two, keep bills up, and likely buy food so that I can hear people lie about how fantastic my baked mac n’ cheese with turkey was. Don’t forget the ugly Christmas sweater. Besides the financial part, I also need to prepare myself mentally so that it’s possible I won’t be so irritated with how frantically everyone is boasting about their knowledge on this foreign thing to me on TV called ‘Football’, or Squid Game (I’ve never hunted squid but to each, their own). So, I make sure I keep a proper sleep and work schedule, like taking a nap at 10pm and then staying up until 6am the next morning (don’t judge me). I also use meditation as another tool, it helps immensely when I feel overwhelmed, whether justified or seemingly for no reason depending on my sleep or lack thereof. The next step after making some kind of plan and having things ready ahead of time, is setting expectations that I’m not going to sit at the dining room table until next year. Read on.
- Making your plan clear to everyone ahead of time:
One thing I’ve learned from life coaches and addictions coaches alike that I’ve had discussions with, is that expectations are premeditated resentments. Of course, that’s when I am expecting someone to do something for me. But what about healthy expectations? Perhaps you want to let everyone know that you will come to Thanksgiving dinner at 5, and leave by 9pm at the latest, because you need to get up early the next day (let them know, let them think; same thing). Typically, I can hear my uncle in the other room saying “Chris is not staying for the game, he’s too good for us”. But that’s okay because I have disappointed them less than I would have by saying “I’ll watch the game with y’all after dinner” and leaving 5 minutes after it starts. Usually no one asks why I have to “get up early” because they know I’m full of it, but what if they do? What is my excuse this year? Read more to find out.
- Having “something to do”:
Okay so everyone knows I’m just making excuses because I don’t like being around too many people at a time for too long. But there’s always that one cousin you haven’t seen for 2,000 years that throws the old “wow cuz, haven’t seen you in forever and you’re just gonna up and run? The party’s just getting started!” Well, for one I don’t party because I’m allergic to alcohol; whenever I drink it, I break out in handcuffs. So, I practice my serious face in the mirror for a week before the big day and repeat “I have a thing”… Pretty elaborate plan, yes? Maybe you can do better. Perhaps you need to rest well New Year’s night so that you can work on your resolution the next day, or you need to catch up on writing blogs for work. Whatever it may be, like a life coach would tell you: You need to make sure this whole experience is going to be a healthy one for YOU; physically, mentally, and spiritually so that you can keep your peace of mind this holiday season, and any other time for that matter.
Overall, this is a pretty simple set of things to keep in mind in order to prepare yourself for the holidays and not end up being overwhelmed by everything, at least not to extremes. Being prepared with a plan and letting everyone know what you plan to do or not do makes for a speedy New Year’s recovery. This way you can get back to your usual routine without having too much to fret about when doing so.
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