Change Your Holiday Tune

Written by Sandi Black

Evergreens, hot cocoa, festive decorations, and twinkling lights everywhere! The sights and sounds of Christmas are often appealing but misleading. We know that the yuletide trappings, attractive as they are, require extensive preparation and long hours of work. 

Most of us love hearing familiar carols during the holiday season. But maybe you could write your own lyrics to describe the holiday lifestyle more accurately, as in the following song chorus sung to the tune of “Deck the Halls”:

Stress the halls with nervous laughter, Fa la la la la, la la la la!
Indigestion coming after, Fa la la la la, la la la la!
Hypertension and some sweating, Fa la la la la la, la la la!
Christmas blues is what we’re getting, Fa la la la la, la la la la!

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Does this feel all too familiar? These words may not be your usual song, but busy holidays often have ways of changing your tune!

Holiday Medley

Christmas holidays bring mixed feelings of joy, excitement, anticipation, and often undesirable doses of stress. Occasions to visit relatives, to attend and host parties, to see friends, and to buy and receive gifts often overshadow the real reason for the season of the birth of Christ. Lost in the hasty mailing of festive holiday cards, a flurry of parties, and church gatherings, we often neglect finding time to relax. We omit the quiet times alone with God. Unfortunately, some Christians admit that they have come to dread December with all its commercialization. 

Stress can be both positive and negative. Positive stress can help us to concentrate and focus; in fact, it can literally help a person to survive. Good stress, which can actually help in meeting challenges, is an essential fact of life. Examples of positive stress are mandatory meetings, work deadlines, scheduled events – legitimate parts of everyday life. When stress is positive, our bodies automatically relax after having handled the situation that caused the stress response.

Negative stress causes a person’s body to stay geared up and doesn’t allow for relaxing. When stress becomes chronic and ongoing, physical and emotional health can suffer. Some examples of this kind of stress might be juggling too many responsibilities, trying to perform an impossible task, working consistently late hours with too little sleep, and long daily commutes to work in heavy traffic. Left uncontrolled, negative stress can lead to high blood pressure, ulcers, migraines, heart attacks, and even worse consequences.

Twenty Ways to Beat Stress

During this season, plan to choose ways to manage the holidays and make them more enjoyable and healthy. The following suggestions will help you beat stress:

• Eat well.
• Take a deep breath when stressed.
• Get enough sleep.
• Call a positive friend.
• Keep a journal of things you are thankful for.
• Pace yourself.
• Save a few extra dollars.
• Plan your day the night before.
• Be assertive, not aggressive.
• Give yourself a one-minute vacation.
• Don’t dwell on worries.
• Vent your anger so that it doesn’t hurt anybody.
• Decide ahead how to handle upcoming problems.
• Remember you are a valuable child of God.
• Set limits for yourself and keep them.
• Help someone in need.
• Spend time with affirming people.
• Try to limit rich foods in your diet and avoid late-night snacking.
• If things are getting out of control, get help!
• Be yourself. God made you to be unique.

Exercise

Mental health experts stress the value of exercise. Many doctors consider walking or doing aerobic exercise at least three times a week to be just as valuable as taking anti-depressant medication. Talking to a Christian therapist occasionally can make a world of difference in one’s stress management.

Other ideas:

• In the morning, get up half an hour early and take a brisk walk for at least 15 minutes before breakfast.
• At work, take small exercise breaks instead of coffee breaks. Walk up and down stairs instead of using elevators.
• During television commercials, run up and down stairs, jump rope, or do other exercises.
• Do your chores at a faster rate than usual; make the bed faster, shop and decorate quickly.
• Choose a physical activity to do with a friend instead of going out to eat. Walk around the mall or through a park or go shopping.

A Positive Note

Stress is an emotional and physical reaction, and developing a healthier-than-average attitude and lifestyle will be good for you all year. Positive thinking, developing a plan of action, finding support systems, exercising, eating well, and getting enough rest can make you feel better about yourself.

Good habits will carry over into the holidays. But a quick holiday tip is to slow down and enjoy each moment as it comes. Realize that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is nothing at all. Unclutter your days of endless chores and stop rushing around until you’re frazzled. Pace your tasks, find time to refresh your body, and pause occasionally. Celebrate the blessings God gives, listen to and apply the restful advice offered in the familiar carol: “Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”  

Sandi Black is a licensed professional counselor in Fort Worth, Texas. She and her husband, Wes, have two adult children. This article is courtesy of HomeLife Magazine.

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