Holidays Don’t Have to Be Full of Stress
Holidays Don’t Have to Be Full of Stress
Empowerment Coach Offers Tips to Enjoy the Season
Balancing work and family is difficult enough on a normal day, but the stress of juggling holiday responsibilities can push anyone to the breaking point. But according to Helen J. Burton, an empowerment and recovery coach, much of the stress is focusing on ‘should haves’ instead of embracing the moments for what they are.
“Most people are striving for the Currier and Ives Christmas of their childhood, but in reality they’re dreading the holidays because they know it won’t meet their idealistic view,” she explains.
How can you beat back the dread and have the family holiday of your dreams? “Start by lowering your expectations,” advises Burton. “Be more realistic about what you can do. This usually involves changing the tradition — it can be equally as good, but it has to be unique to your family.”
Burton is a certified coach who helps both addicts and their loved ones work through the pain and develop a plan for a purposeful future. She founded Love Yourself Coaching (www.loveyourselfcoaching.net) in 2001, to meet the ongoing need creating healing and better lives by empowering others.
She offers the following tips to help de-stress and enjoy more of the holiday season:
- Take a mini-holiday everyday. “It’s important to focus 10 minutes every day on you by taking time out for yourself,” says Burton. She suggests reading, listening to music, meditating, or just doing nothing.
- Get out and enjoy the season. “Forget participating in the hustle and bustle, watch it go by instead by meeting a friend out for coffee,” she says. “It also gives you a chance to connect with someone in a relaxed atmosphere.”
- When you need help, ask. Burton suggests having a list of friends and family who can be “just a phone call away when you are feeling stressed or upset.”
- Send yourself a holiday greeting. “Write yourself a letter which you mail to yourself by the middle of December,” says the coach. The letter should include a thank you to yourself for who you are, acknowledging how much you’ve grown. “Also put in a list of three problems you solved this year and what impact that has made on your life,” Burton says.
Burton also suggests sending a similar letter to loved ones, telling them how special they are as well. “It’s a great way to connect, and reveal the true meaning of the season.”
For more information about Love Yourself Coaching, contact Burton at Helen@LoveYourselfCoaching.net.
