Tips For Holiday Survival

(CARLSBAD, CA) -The most festive time of the year is often the most stressful as well. Your to-do list doubles as do your social commitments. Throw in a bit of travel, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for anxiety and tension rather than joy.

With a little pre-planning, however, you can have a relaxing and cheerful holiday season. Here’s how:

Make a list of your holiday hot buttons. What activities create anxiety? Identify them and have a game plan in place before they occur. And allow yourself to say no. Create a priority list, take a realistic look at your calendar, schedule the “musts” and let go of the rest.

— Family gatherings. What makes family gatherings stressful? Are you constantly asked when you will get married, have children, or move closer to home? Devise a quick answer and change of subject. Limit your stay to one or two nights, or consider staying at a hotel if you’re visiting from out of town. Anticipate stressful situations and have a plan in place to diffuse them.

— Gift buying. If shopping for gifts creates tension and anxiety, consider theme gifts for extended family like a tin of popcorn and a favorite movie. Or have an idea list prepared before you shop. Also consider online or mail order shopping. You can have gifts delivered directly to the recipients and avoid crowded shops and malls.

— Cooking/entertaining. Make entertaining easier by asking others to bring dishes. After all, the main point is to get together and most people are happy to pitch in. If it suits the gathering, consider serving appetizers rather than a full meal. If holiday baking is a family tradition, set aside a specific day for it. If you’re pressed for time, organize a cookie exchange and accomplish two tasks at once – a holiday gathering (for your book club, church group, co-workers, etc.) that provides everyone with a variety of home baked treats to take home!

— Eating. With so many delicious, calorie-rich foods available eating throughout the holidays can be extremely stressful. Again, pre-planning can diffuse the anxiety surrounding food. Decide when you will indulge ahead of time. Allow yourself to have a slice of your neighbor’s outstanding turtle cheesecake, but stick to vegetables and nutritious, low-calorie fare at the buffet table beforehand. Enjoy all your favorite foods, but be conscious of your portions. And watch out for alcohol. Alcoholic drinks can be loaded with calories, and imbibing too much can lower your inhibitions and open the door to overeating.

— Decorating/Greeting cards. Creating a festive atmosphere in your home can be one of the greatest joys of the holidays. Enlist the help of your family, and remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Holiday greeting cards are another wonderful way to mark the season and touch base with friends and relatives, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, whittle your list down to the most important people in your life, send cards only when you receive one, or consider skipping this task altogether.

— Exercise. Jazzercise CEO Judi Sheppard Missett strongly suggests that you don’t let fitness fall by the wayside! Exercise is a wonderful stress reducer and a great way to keep weight gain in check. Schedule your workouts as you would any other important holiday task or appointment.

Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, you can use it to exercise.  Just squeeze in a few reps whenever you have an opportunity and the benefits will accumulate all day long!  Try the following high-knee jog to get your heart pumping, strengthen your legs, and burn off some stress along with a few calories.

Begin with a minute or so of regular low-intensity jogging to warm up your legs and your heart.  Slowly start making the jogs bigger by lifting your knees higher and higher and pumping your arms in opposition. Try to get your knees waist high if you can and swing your arms in strong front and back motions. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in tight and your shoulders relaxed as you jog for a minute or two, breathing deeply.  Finish with a minute or two of slow walking and stretching to cool down. 

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 6,800 instructors teaching 30,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com