Hi Cat! I always used to get terrible anxiety during the holidays. Here's a few things I've done to help.
1) No going to the mall after Thanksgiving. I order online if I'm not done shopping by then. Crowds/heat = claustrophobia for me
2) Re-set my expectations. If my parents are coming for dinner does my house need to be immaculate or just presentable?
3) Let the little things go. If I can't get to everything on my list, I reprioritize and make sure just the important things are done
4) Relaxation CDs at night before bed and NO new or other shows that show frightening images
5) Me time...take some time out to pamper yourself! Give yourself a manicure/pedicure, take a bubble bath, read a book, exercise, make a nice meal and enjoy it.
Hello & WB! It's nice to see you:) Our dear Suz lost her dh to cancer & we're just beginning to deal with her departure from the board. It's nice to be remembered. She occasionally lurks, so perhaps she'll see your post.
The declining sunlight adds to the bit of depression that accompanies my anxiety during the holidays. If it's a sunny day, I'll rearrange my schedule a bit to spend some time out of the house. I'll get an extra walk in with the dog.
Hi Cat, it was nice chatting with you today. Do you know what triggers the anxiety around the Holidays? For me it was always the loss of loved ones in the past. I'm sad they won't be here to share in the Holidays with me. Now that I have a little one, I don't think about it as much. I was just wondering if it could be something similar for you. What we talked about in chat, the gifts, I think you are just stressing over it way too much. When you shop, I'm sure you look for something everyone will enjoy & 2nd guessing yourself will just drive you crazy, lol! It's kind of like changing the answers on a test & getting them all wrong when they were right to begin with, make any sense?? Enjoy the spirt of Christmas. Enjoy the decorations, the light, the reason for Christmas, maybe that will help you relax. I wish you well.
It's sad how our pasts can have such a profound affect on us. It sounds like you know your trigger, so that's a start. I can't even imagine worrying about Santa coming. My parents would never do something like that, but I have been traumatized in other ways, and my family was very dysfunctional. I hope that as each Holiday season arrives, you feel more in control of it & can make it a happy one for yourself and those around you.
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Hi Cat! I always used to get terrible anxiety during the holidays. Here's a few things I've done to help.
1) No going to the mall after Thanksgiving. I order online if I'm not done shopping by then. Crowds/heat = claustrophobia for me
2) Re-set my expectations. If my parents are coming for dinner does my house need to be immaculate or just presentable?
3) Let the little things go. If I can't get to everything on my list, I reprioritize and make sure just the important things are done
4) Relaxation CDs at night before bed and NO new or other shows that show frightening images
5) Me time...take some time out to pamper yourself! Give yourself a manicure/pedicure, take a bubble bath, read a book, exercise, make a nice meal and enjoy it.
Hello & WB! It's nice to see you:) Our dear Suz lost her dh to cancer & we're just beginning to deal with her departure from the board. It's nice to be remembered. She occasionally lurks, so perhaps she'll see your post.
The declining sunlight adds to the bit of depression that accompanies my anxiety during the holidays. If it's a sunny day, I'll rearrange my schedule a bit to spend some time out of the house. I'll get an extra walk in with the dog.
Hi Cat, it was nice chatting with you today. Do you know what triggers the anxiety around the Holidays? For me it was always the loss of loved ones in the past. I'm sad they won't be here to share in the Holidays with me. Now that I have a little one, I don't think about it as much. I was just wondering if it could be something similar for you. What we talked about in chat, the gifts, I think you are just stressing over it way too much. When you shop, I'm sure you look for something everyone will enjoy & 2nd guessing yourself will just drive you crazy, lol! It's kind of like changing the answers on a test & getting them all wrong when they were right to begin with, make any sense?? Enjoy the spirt of Christmas. Enjoy the decorations, the light, the reason for Christmas, maybe that will help you relax. I wish you well.
Sheri Ann
Sheri Ann
An excellent post Janis, thank you.
Judy
cl-ivhjude
I particularly like what you said about the meaning of the season.
It's sad how our pasts can have such a profound affect on us. It sounds like you know your trigger, so that's a start. I can't even imagine worrying about Santa coming. My parents would never do something like that, but I have been traumatized in other ways, and my family was very dysfunctional. I hope that as each Holiday season arrives, you feel more in control of it & can make it a happy one for yourself and those around you.
Sheri Ann
Sheri Ann
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