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Idaho Transportation
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Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
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Remove the stress from Christmas

With Christmas and New Years approaching, many of us may be feeling more stress and pressure as we anticipate the demands of the season. Unfortunately, because of high expectations of ourselves and of the season we may not allow ourselves to fully enjoy and appreciate the holiday season. Here are some tips from the Idaho's Employee Assistance Program provider to simplify, de-stress, and more fully enjoy the holiday season:

  • Get up an hour earlier each day from now until Christmas. This could give you extra hours to prepare for the holidays.
  • Don’t sacrifice the basics of self-care. In other words, exercise, relax, and eat properly.
Less costly

You do not have to overspend during the holidays. Some ideas for making the season less costly are:

  • Have a potluck dinner, instead of preparing the entire family meal yourself.
  • Set a price limit for purchased gifts; communicate this limit to other family members or friends.
  • Give a gift from one family to another family; once again, communicating this before hand prevents unnecessary guilt.
  • Pass on a family heirloom that would be meaningful to another member of the family.
  • Give the gift of personal service - e.g., babysitting, cleaning, cooking, etc.

Take time for your children

For parents, the holidays can be especially enjoyable or especially stressful, depending on how well you plan and attend to children’s needs.

  • Slow down and take time to reconnect. Give your child 10 minutes of uninterrupted attention. Your child will be more relaxed and able to handle the times you have to spend on other holiday activities.
  • Give your children a role in activities and preparations. If they feel they are participating they are less likely to act out or whine. Even very young children can be involved. Examples include gift-wrapping, choosing gifts, baking, addressing cards, making own cards, etc.
  • Try to limit your social obligations to two per week and not spend too many evenings away from the children.
  • Savor your family traditions and pass them on to your children. Tell them where the traditions came from and how you experienced the holidays when you were a child.
  • Overall, for those with families, it is important to scale down obligations. Some families observe the rule of no outside parties or functions after the 19th, just to give the family a little time to settle in together before Christmas. Also, some traditions that are especially time-consuming or stressful may be modified or even eliminated. For example, if making the gingerbread houses involves a great deal of time and stress, you can choose to eliminate that tradition. The same goes for excessive decorating.

The main point is that we often have an unrealistic expectation of how much we should “get done” during the holidays. By simplifying and focusing less on getting things done, and more on relaxing and enjoying those who we love, we stand a much better chance of experiencing a relatively stress-free holiday season.

If you experience difficulty, you may consult your Employee Assistance Program by calling (800) 726-0003. An appointment can be scheduled near you. For more information about reducing your anxiety level, see the EAP web site at: http://www.bpahealth.com/e_wl_stress.html

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