Tag: holiday

The holidays are here, and we all know what that means: malls, freeways, and businesses filled with busy, stressed-out people! How can you keep your cool amidst all the chaos?

First, remember that every contact is a relationship. Whether you’re driving in holiday traffic or dashing through the mall in search of the perfect gift, you have a relationship with everyone you meet. How you choose to conduct yourself in those situations will determine the amount of personal balance you’ll have in your life; and your level of balance determines the quality of your most important relationships.

The holidays are filled with festivities and beautiful rituals, yet they bring along the dread of dietary demons, the meals, the parties and office snacks, which sabotage the weight we have worked so hard to lose or maintain during the year. These days, everyone wants a fast metabolism and flatter abs. However, what really weighs us down in life is the resentment we carry.

This is not metaphorical. Resentment actually causes us to put on the pounds. Cortisol, a stress hormone, increases with negative emotions and deposits fat around the abdominal region.

This holiday season needs an emergency infusion of joy and spontaneity to counteract a falling economy, election withdrawal, seasonal affective disorder, a loss of personal empowerment, and stress.

Ideally, your social network consisting of family and friends can generate humor and joy helping to redirect your attention from what you don’t have to what you do have. However, in reality they can be rude, insensitive and as much fun as a stomach virus. When you recall past holiday get-togethers with family and friends, you often realize why you see these people only once a year.

Yes, it’s time again for some holiday cheer, and knowing how to handle yourself at the annual office party or neighborhood dinner party is a holiday gift that you can give and receive with grace. Here are some ways to behave when you’re the host or a guest at a holiday gathering.

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to RSVP (or overlook the request to RSVP altogether!). A late RSVP looks like you are "holding out" for the best offer. You have 48 hours to decide and then, make the call.

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with family and friends, for sharing meals and good company; and of course a time for stress. Are your holiday festivities stressful? They aren't supposed to be. They are supposed to be relaxing, peaceful and fun. I'd like to share a few things I've learned about Thanksgiving and help you give your family a fun stress-free holiday.

My business partner, Sikky Rogers, always had a formal holiday gathering. She sets out her silver and finest china, prepared the turkey and all the trimmings and received her extended family all dressed in formal attire. This sounds great to me, especially if you are a guest. The problem was, her family wasn't really having all that much fun. They were stressed because mom was stressed. So Sikky sat down with her family and they came to an agreement that would satisfy Sikky's need to host them in the way that she wanted, but would reduce the work and stress level for all.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I want to offer some survival tips that have helped us get through this ubiquitous season. So often, the desire in our family is to try and please all of our relatives, as this is a "special time of the year." However, we just can’t be in multiple places at once. So, here are some tips on how to deal with sticky situations when it comes to family and the holiday season.

* Get a Routine: My family set up a schedule with my oldest brother when he got married that has worked for my sister and for me. Each odd-numbered year (like 2007), we spend Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas is spent with in-laws.

He says no… she says yes. She wants to go to her best friend’s for Thanksgiving dinner, he’s firm about going to his parents. She wants a change… he wants the same. Suddenly you’re not feeling thankful for anything at all. Sound familiar? So, how do you put the thankful back into Thanksgiving? How do you come to a middle ground with your partner, your family and yourself?

Thanksgiving can be anything but peaceful if holiday disagreements escalate into yearly battles. It’s easy to forget what you’re thankful for if the hassles of planning Thanksgiving begin to outweigh the meaning of this important occasion.