Holiday 911 for Parents : Rekindle Your Spirit in Ten Minutes Flat
By Christina Katz
Here come the holidays barreling down the calendar track . Are you frozen like a snowman in the headlights ? Or are you frantic , checking an endless litany of musts off your overloaded holiday to-do list each day ?
Even if you feel great about the approaching holidays and are mostly on top of all of the extra tasks that come with them , you can still hit your limit now and then . Once your holly-jollies start running on fumes , these steps will remind you how to hit the reset button so you can make a quick comeback .
Stop it . The frenetic pace is undeniable at this time of year — planning , shopping , parties , travel . However , all day , every day , you get to choose whether to act , react , respond or detach . If you are often not feeling like you can invoke your power of choice , and if you find yourself reacting to situations you would prefer to detach from , then maybe you need a break . You ’ ll know you need a break if you feel consistently grumpy and stressed out . When this happens , take 10 minutes to re-evaluate your day . No matter how much you still have to do , anyone can spare a few minutes .
Drop it . You may be attempting to accomplish too much most days because of holiday pressure coming from inside and out . But your holidays are more likely to be imperfect rather than perfect . Ironically , the more we try to jam into our waking hours , the less we feel like we are in the flow .
6 | ST JOHNS PARENT MAGAZINE