Embracing 'No'

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your holiday is filled with lots of love, stuffing and plenty of relaxation. But if you're like most Americans, you may be feeling a bit of holiday stress. If so, I hope you're able to find some peace amid the ensuing chaos. I'm determined to keep from succumbing to holiday stress this year, and I have a strategy.

I'm embracing "no." I came up with a rule for myself some months back when I was feeling overwhelmed and overtired. I found myself in a non-stop cycle of work and social plans, and while I was happy to see friends and indulge in "going out," I wasn't feeling all that good. I realized I needed to give myself time to decompress. So now I try my best to not schedule get-togethers two days in a row.

I thought I was quite clever, coming up with this rule for myself. Then recently I read the same recommendation in a Natural Health article aptly titled "Less Frazzle, More Dazzle"...

"A well-timed pause between fetes will help you stay calm. Instead of looking at the holidays as a six-week blur, schedule free days between events and stick to your normal routine as much as possible." Susan Blum, M.D., founder and director of the Blum Center for Health in Rye Brook, NY explains that the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year's can cause "low-grade, long-term stress [that] can wreak havoc on your digestive system immunity and mental health." The Natural Health article says to stick to your routine in-between spaced out social plans. "Your usual self-care, like Pilates class and your weekly date with The Good Wife, will lend you 'the resiliency to weather all the storms that come with this time of year," says Blum.

The article advises to "be selective about your RSVPs." Holly Lucille, N.D., a naturopath in Los Angeles says, "You want to feel as excited about a holiday party as you do when the food is served at a restaurant you've been really excited to try." The article advises that if you're "not feeling it when you open the invite... Put your needs first by sending your regrets and going to yoga instead. The hosts won't mind as much as you think they will." Lucille echos my own sentiment: "Try your best not to schedule commitments more than two nights in a row... Taking a day off between parties can help you savor the celebrations you do attend."

Here's to a happy holiday season!

P.S. See here and here for related posts from my previous blog AMB.

P.P.S. If you're still planning your holiday get-togethers, use these tools!

P.P.P.S. Last but not least, see below for tips for getting through today! Thank you Julie Mellk

for sharing:

As we tend to spend more time with our more complicated relationships (family) during this part of the year, here are two truths I find to be very helpful...