Creative Ways to Curb Holiday Stress & Anxiety
Here's the thing: you are not alone in dealing with this unparalleled level of a complicated holiday season. We're collectively trying to get through it. To help curb your holiday-related stress and anxiety, adhere to the expert advice on the following pages.
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Don't Force Perfection
"Try to remember to focus on the spirit of the holidays and control only what you can," says Judd. "There is no such thing as a 'perfect' holiday gathering."
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Allow Yourself to Be Selfish
Being 'selfish' allows us to be selfless. "If you really take care of yourself and make sure your needs are met, then you will find that you have the desire and energy to love and support others," explains Dr. Cochran. "So, after you have taken really good care of yourself by eating well, exercising, making sure that you have sufficient sleep and topping it all off with a soupçon of pampering; find a way to give to family, strangers, animals, whomever."
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Practice Gratitude
It's human nature to dwell on the negative. To avoid festering within an angry bubble, we have to work extra hard to find the good. Be intentional here. Judd recommends keeping a daily gratitude journal; you can also just speak these words out loud in the morning or evening as part of your daily ritual. Other ways to practice gratitude include stopping to look at a scene and observe what you like about it or going out of your way to tell someone you care about why you cherish them. It'll feel good — promise.
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Accept That This Year's Different
The sooner you can let go of what you thought this holiday season was going to look like, the sooner you can create new plans you're excited about. Put together an afternoon of FaceTiming your favorites, plan a virtual family present unwrapping, or figure out how to safely spend some in-person time with loved ones. Maybe that means hanging out in the backyard with masks, visiting through a window, or having a small group tested and quarantined before getting together.
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