10 Tips for Stress LESS Holidays
By Pamela Katz Ressler, RN, BSN, HN-BC
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Lower the bar -- Do you really need to be Martha Stewart?
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Practice the fine art
of saying “no” -- This simple word really
is in our control!
v Find a source of renewal amid the busyness -- For every hour that you spend on holiday tasks, take at least one to three minutes for renewal and centering.
This could be gentle stretching, meditation, or simply resting.
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Embrace Wabi-Sabi –The Japanese aesthetic principle of imperfection=beauty
v Learn to "Serial Task" – New studies
show up to 40% more efficiency for those who perform tasks serially vs. simultaneously.
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Prioritize Tasks --Write down everything you feel you must do, and then eliminate one or two items
from the list. Review your list periodically and see if you can eliminate other non-essential items.
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Make a Have-Done List -- Acknowledge
what you DID get done, and not what you didn’t.
v Delegate -- Allow
others to participate in the preparation – true, you need to give up control over the outcome…can you live with
that?
v Let Go of Expectations – your own
expectations and expectations from others.
v De-Tribe Once a Aay -- Take a mental and physical mini-vacation away from your “tribe”. This could be a walk
by yourself in nature, a soak in the tub, disappearing for 15 minutes with a good book and a cup of tea. By
consciously cultivating times of solitude, you will be more present with others when you return.