Managing Holiday Stress; Creating A Support Network
The holidays are often seen as the most wonderful time of the year, but this isn’t true for everyone. Many find that this time can add a ton of stress to their lives, making them feel anxiety and dread because they aren’t sure how to handle all of the work. In addition, about 66% of those surveyed by WebMD.com stated that they experienced loneliness during the holidays.
One of the methods you can use to handle the holiday season is to create a support group. Rather than spending time alone and feeling overwhelmed by loneliness or all the work that you need to get done, creating a good support group will give you the help you need to limit all that work. Some of the ways that you can create a support group this holiday to help stave off loneliness or to cut out the stress from doing too much includes:
Ask Friends to Come Over
Some people find that they can’t spend time with their family during the holidays. Whether everyone is busy, they can’t afford to travel, or you are sick, you may not be able to enjoy some of the holiday traditions that you like from the past. Instead of spending that time at home alone, feeling sad and upset, you could consider having friends over and starting some new traditions.
For example, many friends have started to do a Friendsgiving celebration, rather than Thanksgiving, when they can’t get together as a family. A bunch of friends get together and enjoy fun times and good food with people they love. You can start some similar traditions at any time of the holidays, making the time memorable, even if your normal support group is nowhere to be found.
Attend Community Events
If you are dealing with loneliness during the holidays, then it is time to get out of the home and have some fun. Most towns and communities will have a lot of great events that you can attend. You can meet other people, enjoy the holiday spirit, and not have to do any of the work to put the event on.
Ask for Help
One of the hardest things for people to do during the holidays is asked for the help and support they need. They assume they can handle it all on their own. And for a while, they may be successful at getting this done. But before long, they will find that the work overwhelms them and can add on more stress than normal.
It is important to know when you need help with everything that is going on. Whether you need help from the kids, your spouse, friends, and other family members, asking for help can take some of the work off your shoulders and gives you more time to enjoy the holidays. Ask your spouse to pick the kids up from school, see whether someone can bring a few sides to the party, or hire someone to clean the home so you have one less thing to stress out about.
Creating Your Support Group This Holiday Season
Everyone needs some support when it comes to the holidays. For some, they need to talk to friends and others in the community so they do not need to be alone. Others need to be open to asking for help and using the support network they already have to make sure they don’t feel too overwhelmed by all of the things that need to get done. With the right support group, you can reduce the amount of stress you feel this year.
An opportunity to meet nice people taking care of their holiday stress
November 24th 11am -4 pm The Rest Down and Restore Retreat with Aileen Judson
For more information and to register
