People have been talking about holiday stress ever since it became popular to be stressed-out about anything and everything.
When you think about it from a logical viewpoint, it just does not make sense to go through holiday stress.
Have you ever looked up the definition of the word holiday? If not here a few definitions that I have found for the word holiday-a day on which ordinary business is suspended; a day of exemption from work; a time or period of exemption from any requirement, duty, or assignment; a feast day; a period of cessation from work; a day of recreation.
All I can think about when I read these definitions is fun, enjoyment, a break from the normal work grind, and celebrating life.
Where is stress found in any of these definitions? Let's consider the nature and effects of stress.
Stress in its most simplistic form is the body's reaction to change that demands that we make physical, mental, or emotional adjustments.
Stress can cause physical pain because it causes people to unconsciously tense in almost every part of their body.
Headaches, digestive problems, ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, heart-attacks, and more can result from the intensity of stress in your life.
The most common emotional responses to stress are anxiety, anger, and depression.
The next question I would ask is why would time off work and the celebration of a feast day and such cause such horrendous reactions to the body, mind, and emotions? The answer to this question can be very complex.
A simple response is the world that we live in today has put a load of stress on people from every direction.
The load of stress that most people carry in every day ordinary life is already more than enough to cause a personal physical and mental breakdown.
When the load of holiday stress is added to the equation, sometimes it is simply too much for a person to bear.
Here are some ways that holiday stress can throw an already stressed-out world into a tail spin.
The demand on our finances is already enough.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays demand even more of our finances and often the resulting debt that can go on throughout the coming year.
Sometimes it is stressful to be around family that we don't know well, don't like, and don't connect with.
It is stressful to pull together a huge dinner, find the time to buy and wrap a ton of presents, and miss so much work that you know that you will have to work overtime to get back on track.
Many people have suffered loss during previous holidays and the season reminds them of those losses.
Many people, particularly older people, have no one to celebrate with and they find it difficult to face the most festive time of the year alone.
Whatever the stressor is, it is.
I am sure the above list can go on and on.
None of the issues are easy to manage or solve.
The only way that I know of to overcome stress in the holiday season is to stop focusing on the stressors.
While we focus on is the stressors in our lives, we cannot maximize the joy of and the reason that we celebrate the holiday in the first place.
We lose site of the fact that the holiday is about people not money.
The joy of the holiday is to understand the purpose of the holiday and internalize its value in our hearts.
The finances, the toys, and the big feasts that we have to prepare are pain that we have added to the holiday and in reality they have nothing to do with the true meaning of the holiday itself.
As the pain grows with every passing year, we forget that there is a reason for the season.
We forget that the celebration is a cause to be thankful and enjoy the many gifts and blessings that we have as we gather with those who are close to us.
Let me encourage you to focus on the joy of the season this year.
Forget everything else.
Understand that the finances, the family, the food and all the rest are part of it.
But these things are no the stars of the holiday show.
If you don't have the most amazing meal or if you are not able to buy the perfect gift for the special people in your life then don't stress over it.
Just do the best that you can to make it a relaxed and joyful occasion.
Don't exceed your means to buy things that others will forget about before the New Year arrives.
There is a phrase that is infiltrating stores and media today that, in my opinion, is the best way to keep yourself focused on having a good time and enjoying the holidays as they should be enjoyed and celebrated.
That phrase is, "Live, Laugh, Love.
" Do that and you will be on a good track to rediscovering the reason for the festive season that is now upon us!