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Take the Stress out of Cooking a Christmas Day Meal

December 2, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The holidays always come quicker than we anticipated. Family members roll into town and the festivities begin. If you are the one cooking the meal on Christmas Day, you probably felt the stress level rise as everyone walked in your door. Here are some tips to help you plan and enjoy Christmas.

Cooking probably falls to you on any normal day, but the holidays are anything but normal. You’ll need help and that requires that some things are in place before you can do that. Keep reading to find help for your harried soul.

1. Get Organized – This is a toughie for most people because they don’t know where to begin. The preparation for a holiday meal actually begins weeks before. Right after Thanksgiving, begin making your list of holiday dishes you will prepare for Christmas Day dinner. Go through your cabinets to see what you need. Recipes that call for lesser used items are tops on the list, so you can begin finding those things. [Read more...]

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Tips to De-Stress Before and During the Holiday Season

November 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The holidays are a time to spend with family and friends. Unfortunately it can be anything but relaxing, especially if you are hosting dinners or parties. Here are a few tips to help you reduce the stress of what are supposed to be happy moments.

The holiday season is usually happiest for the participants and not the host or hostess. But, you can change that this year. When you feel the tenseness creeping up your body:

1. Practice breathing exercises. You’d be amazed how much this works. The brain needs oxygen; in fact it needs 20% more oxygen than the rest of your body. Deep breathing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, allowing you to think more clearly. That seating arrangement problem for Thanksgiving dinner will seem to solve itself. [Read more...]

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What Does Christmas Mean For All

December 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

4burgCandlesby Jackie Spivey

Christmas means a joyful time of year, having fun with your family, spending time with your family, seeing all the beautiful lights, decorating the tree, eating all the food you can eat, celebrating the birth of Jesus and buying presents for other people. Traditionally, this is what Christmas means for all.

It is the season during which Christians everywhere give thanks to God the Father for the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the church’s celebration of the Incarnation, the supreme mystery that the holy and almighty God took on human flesh and was born in this world of the Virgin Mary.

A Christmas tree is the heart of Christmas celebration. Trees seem to have originated in medieval Germany and were used for a long period of time before we began to decorate them. Decorating any Christmas tree is a fun way to celebrate the holiday.

Trees are very important and have been worshiped before writing because of their symbiotic relationship with EVERYTHING around them. Christmas trees have been decorated since their origin in the 16th century Europe, first with edible treats. [Read more...]

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Plan To Manage Holiday Stress

December 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Everyone finds themselves stressed out during the holiday season. But for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), November through January can feel like a whirlwind of tasks and responsibilities. Lack of time management will result in undue pressure and overwhelm for the ADD adult.

One way to take the stress out of the holidays is to plan for them. These simple steps can help the ADD adult manage their time and tasks during the holiday season, thereby relieving unnecessary stress.

Create one hour this week to plan your holiday preparation schedule, and follow these steps:

Step 1 – Make a List of all the Things You Need to Do to Prepare for the Holiday

This probably includes gift shopping, writing and mailing holiday cards, decorating your home, planning your travel, etc. After you have made this list, put a star next to each of the items that you don’t like to do. (Maybe you get bored writing out the holiday cards, or maybe you detest shopping.) [Read more...]

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Tips to Prevent Stress this Christmas Season

November 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Christmas season comes just once a year. Along with it is inevitable stress. Here are the tips to prevent stress this Christmas season:

Maintain a healthy lifestyle (eat healthy and engage in regular exercise).
Your days may be filled with activities during the holiday season but that doesn’t mean that you can forego your usual, healthy lifestyle just because you become busier. Maintain a balanced diet and keep your exercise routine no matter how busy you are. Stress level can increase dramatically if eating habits and regular exercise are replaced by holiday activities. If you are not eating healthy foods and are not engaged in any exercise program, this is also a good time to start. Eating healthy foods reduce stress and help you feel and look better. Any exercise activity from as simple as brisk walking to a total body workout can combat health problems caused by additional activities for the holiday season.

Learn to say no
Though it is nice to do someone a favor, learning when to say no will not hurt at all. Believe it or not, people will understand if you decline to take on a certain task if you cannot do it at all. [Read more...]

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Combat Holiday Stress With a Massage

December 10, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

By Brandon J. Thomas

The holiday season is officially here, and with it can come added stress. Chair massage is a fast and affordable way to alleviate stress and keep you in good spirits. Many people have high expectations for the holidays-we want to give the perfect gift, or host a wonderful party or dinner. Many families are traveling a long distance or are having guests stay with them. The pressure we put on ourselves to please friends and family can create tension and anxiety, making the holidays less enjoyable. Taking a short time out with a chair massage can release tension, improve mood, reduce aches and pains and help you to regain your stamina.

Taking a break in the midst of holiday planning and events may seem like a difficult or even impossible task. There are more errands to run, more treats to bake, more presents to buy, and very little time to accomplish it all. However, just 15 minutes with a chair massage therapist can provide valuable physical and emotional benefits that can make all the difference. A chair massage is performed in a relaxing setting and can be combined with aromatherapy to enhance the positive effects. The chair massage therapist concentrates on the upper body and back, working out the kinks and improving the body’s circulation. Massage has also been shown to aid immune system function, which can help you to fight off nasty winter colds.

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Enjoy the Season – 5 Ways to Manage Holiday Stress

November 23, 2008 By admin Leave a Comment

By Margaret Page

The holiday season is notorious for being the most stressful time of the year. In addition to the demands of regular life, we have shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, school plays, parties, menu planning, in-laws… and did I mention it’s the most stressful time of the year?

Unfortunately, a stressful holiday is simply not enjoyable. If you’ve ever been there (and honestly, who hasn’t?), you’re familiar with that silent promise: next year, I’ll do it differently.
Aside from renting a remote cabin, there’s only one way to ensure a low-stress holiday season: have a strategy in place to keep it all manageable. Here are five easy ways to minimize the stress of the holiday season:

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