You can tell the holidays are looming near. As soon as pre-holiday season starts, the hair’s in a bun; the to-do lists are out; deadlines are on and poppin’ everywhere, and your edges are growing thinner by the second…
Most working women know the feeling all too well… That restless ball of nerves somewhere between the pit of your stomach and your chest cavity says it all: too much to do, not enough time, and why is everyone driving like they have nowhere to go?
Plus all your work deliverables are due yesterday, which may seriously impact your free time to make your signature homemade pie for Thanksgiving, buy everyone on your list a thoughtful gift, and get your eyebrows waxed for the family gathering….And all of a sudden your armpits go on a sweat fest, as every fiber in your body starts asking for chocolate (the milky kind with almonds)…
Most advice out there will give you 101 tips to cope with pre-holiday stress, or 1,000 ways to to grin and bear though this period while consuming outrageous amounts of chocolate (or wine, or vodka…)But really, how much fun is it to just survive what’s supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year, when instead we can thrive, strive and enjoy the whole process instead?
Except since all this pre-holiday stress won’t go down without a fight (and we won’t either), here’s my own version of a battle plan for every working mom who’s ever considered jetting to Bali until January 1st:
Put Your Anti-Holiday Stress Armor On.
There are 1,001 reasons to stress out during the pre-holiday time…All your work deadlines are coming crashing down on your already busy calendar. You can’t keep track of how many gifts you have to buy, wrap, mail out, or exchange. And now it really doesn’t look like that cute red dress you’ve been saving to wear over the holidays will ever fit…
When all hell is threatening to break loose and you feel you have no time to stop and catch your breath…is definitely when you should! Start the day by spending some quiet time, whether it’s praying, meditating, or just sitting in silence. It’s another way of preparing your mind for the onslaught of stressful deadlines, to-do’s, requests, not-to-do’s, etc…
So even if that report due yesterday is not coming out the way it should, or you realize you forgot half of your shopping list, or your waistline is filing for divorce from the rest of your body, you can still maintain a shred of sanity (and your edges)…
Think Less Effort, More Impact.
Admit it, those homemade toffee candies you’ve dug out the recipe of from Pinterest, and are desperately trying to fit in to your crowded schedule, can be skipped. As in, you can buy the same exact toffee candies from the store, and save yourself a couple of precious hours, loads of dishwashing, and a serious case of sugar high…
So ditch the perfect-housewife, I-can-do-it-all attitude, if you know you have neither the time nor the energy to bake bonbons from scratch. If you can buy it from the store, please do yourself a favor and grab a double set. The same goes for spending hours wrapping gifts when you can order them pre-wrapped on Amazon, or pick the wrapping option at most stores….
Think less effort, more impact…And you can tell that perfect frenemy of yours who’s just out-baked the whole neighborhood, that this is not about being lazy… It’s just smart allocation of your resources and energy, plus saving yourself wrinkles, lost edges and other stressful side effects…
Ditch the Pride and Seek Demand help.
Gone are the days when you tried to do it all alone, so you can get credit for pulling all the holiday weight all by yourself…only to show up at the Thanksgiving family gathering with a deep-seated desire to utter choice words to pretty much everyone in attendance.
The pre-holiday stress economy has officially turned in to a sharing economy. Which means you can spread the cheer (and the stress) around…So enroll the hubby and the kids into the Pre-Holiday Academy, and start spreading the wealth assignments. Hubby can type the gift tags while the kids help with Christmas Eve invites. And wveryone can bring a dish while you just make the main course…
And you may just be able to make that eyebrow threading appointment after all!
Enjoy the Process.
As in, have a bite of that pecan pie (my favorite), stop by your favorite shoe store and grab yourself a pre-holiday pick-me-up, or book that spa appointment…Or drive a bit slower and enjoy the holiday lights in your neighborhood (as opposed to skipping the Stop sign to get home early enough to get started on those homemade bonbons).
Yes, there are a gazillion things to do, and no one can do them better than you (and if they can, they better not say it!). But there are also a gazillion things to enjoy over the holidays, from having precious family and friends around, to the many calming benefits of chocolate, cake and wine…
So in the middle of all this pre-holiday frenzy, lift your head up from your pile of files and to-do lists, log off of the Thanksgiving recipes boards on Pinterest, close your eyes and picture yourself victoriously crossing that pre-holiday stress line with your edges still on and one set of lashes put…
Now that’s a pre-holiday stress battle plan…
How do you plan on battling this pre-holiday stress?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
