Is your to do list too long? Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? What about your baking and wrapping and card writing? Don t you just want to scream? Here s what you can do to reduce your stress and have a much happier Holiday season.
I bet you ve heard about the 80 20 principle. According to that rule, 20 of the things we do bring us 80 of the results we get. It works in sales, it works with learning, and it works with getting ready for the holidays too.
So here s how you can cut down on your holiday must do list:
1) Your to do list is not written in stone
First of all, you don t HAVE to do everything on your list. Chances are you couldn t even if you tried. So what to do instead? Cut it in half or less. More about that in a moment.
2) First item on the agenda: Relax
That s right. Relax. You may think that s the last thing you can do, but the fact is, your brain and your body will thank you and you ll get a lot more done.
Why? Stress slows your brain down and it eats up your energy. And you re miserable to boot and can even get sick. After all, it will put a big damper on your immune system, so you re more likely to catch whatever flu virus may come your way. And then how effective will you be?
3) Next item: Cull your list
Now what to do about that to do list? Take a close look and evaluate what exactly you really have to do and what you can simply drop. Chances are, no one will even notice.
Also check for items you can delegate. Maybe the kids can be recruited for baking the cookies or for addressing the Christmas cards. Maybe you can buy the cookies (gasp!) in a good quality store.
4) Finally: Consider starting a new easy holiday tradition
When I grew up in Germany, we always had a special Christmas cake called Stollen. And here s what I now see as total brilliance! Not one single Stollen was ever baked at my house.
My mother baked cookies and was overall quite traditional when it came to Christmas, but Stollen always came from the store. And we received gifts of Stollen too all store bought. I have no idea if I have even encountered a home made Stollen ever. It wouldn t have been very cost effective.
So start a new tradition and incorporate something like Stollen into your routine something that s not too pricey and delivers a nice return for the money (we all loved Stollen and Christmas wouldn t have been the same without it).
And it easily lends itself to a new tradition. They re easy enough to find even in the U.S., especially in gourmet stores. In fact, I think I ll pick one up for the holidays.
Of course, Stollen may or may not be quite right for you, but there s sure to be some new holiday tradition that will fit the bill. Start by experimenting with new Family Holiday Traditions that are easy on you and yet bring back some of the magic you may remember fondly from your own childhood.
Author Resource:
Why not reduce your stress by simplifying the gift purchasing task by visiting Elisabeth Kuhn's http://www.christmaspresentideasblog.com and find some out-of-the-box ideas that will save you time and provide extra value to the recipients. Visit http://www.EdibleChristmasGifts.com for a FREE Gift!
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