Stress Eliminators for Christmas

Christmas is Coming! Do you know what you are doing for Christmas this year? Whether you are traveling or remaining home? Are you the guest or the host? Will it be elaborate, simple, or simply elaborate? Are you going to be the receiver or the giver of gifts, or both? What about food, will you be preparing a special meal(s), fingerfood, treats?

Do you have a plan? This year may be the year to create one, and now may be the perfect time to begin. Whatever one's individual situation during the holiday season, a few minutes of planning can help a person make the most of both time, personal, and financial resources. "The plan" can be as simple as lists jotted down on the back of junkmail envelopes or as complex as an official Christmas binder. I tend to find myself somewhere in between. Some of my lists are literally in my head. I do not recommend this. It can result in being left without a plan, especially if there are any sleep-deprived nights. No plan opens the door to stress. Stress opens the door to destruction and death, both of our bodies and our holidays. Any habit, plan, or practice we can utilize that stops stress is a stress eliminator.

Whatever the plan being used, a person needs to make it theirs and own it. Maintaining enough flexibility to allow for situational circumstances while sticking to the plan prevents overusage of resources. This helps put stress eliminators in place. Stress eliminators are one of a person's richest holiday gift to themself and those around them. Together, let's identify these gifts and use them to their fullest.

Flexibility with structure, stress eliminator identified.

Now, I'll start with my "plan". This will be a speed version. Detailed lists will come later. Not on the blog though:) Everyone would know what they are getting if I did that.

Gifts:

• My Beloved
• Children (this requires a list all of its own)
• Parents (do I want to do individual or joint couple type gifts, still deciding)
• brothers, sis-in-loves, neices, nephews (considering family gifts)
• Grandpa (canned goods and homemade goodies)
• friends (canned goods and homemade goodie gifts)
• mail carriers (homemade goodies)
• extras for those I am forgetting right now (homemade gifts)

Adding my thoughts and things I am needing to decide frees up my mind by eliminating yet another something to remember. The great thing about plans is that each individual can make their very own in a way that works best for them. Even though I typed this one here, my handwritten lists are the ones I go to most. The handwritten lists are the easiest, and quickest, to get to. As a result, they are used more. Some people will find digital lists work best for them. That is super!

Using what works is another stress eliminator for us to implement. Let's put this one to work everywhere we can.