Make Your Holidays Peaceful

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

Several years ago I attended a presentation you made on dealing with holiday stress. You talked about finding P-E-A-C-E during the hectic holiday season.
I was single at the time I heard the talk and it didn’t have meaning for me then, but it would now that I am several years older and married with a family. I know that I am not alone in saying that after the fun and festivities are over and the new year rolls around, I experience a let down.
Can you please give your newspaper readers your words of wisdom from the speaking engagement?
-A reader in Texas

Dear Reader:

Fortunately, I did keep my notes from this presentation, so here are some my suggestions.

Decide in advance that Perfectionism isn’t going to ruin your holidays. Aiming for perfection sets you up for disappointment and, as we all know, many things can happen that you had not planned on. Don’t make yourself a nervous wreck and stress out if things don’t go exactly as you planned.

Keep your Expectations reasonable. A relaxing series of events will not occur when you expect a Norman Rockwell outcome. If you believe that you are a failure and the holidays are ruined if things don’t go exactly as you expected, get ready for a letdown

Accept a few “Griswold” moments. The memories that your family and friends will have of a few humorous incidents will be priceless. Some of your greatest family holiday laughs will occur over an overcooked goose, an over flowing commode and a Christmas tree that topples over on Christmas morning.

If you are a Control freak, give it up, at least for the holiday season. Let go, and go with the flow. Let relationships, family traditions and spiritual observances take precedence over tight schedules, and making everyone happy.

Curb your Excessive spending on gifts and decorations. Overindulgences in eating and drinking, and too many commitments can also make for a lot of unpleasant consequences both during and after the holidays. Staying with the basics of adequate sleep, a healthy diet, routine exercise and managing stress is essential when excessive lifestyles are all around you.

Making peace and joy your holiday priorities is the basis for making choices that will lead to balance and health during the weeks between Thanksgiving and the new year.