Holiday Distress or Destress?

De-Stress Your Holidays-
Give Yourself and Those You Love the Gift of Health
   We are called by many outside voices to give, give, give … "Find the right present for my daughter, my wife, my grandmother, show everyone how good a giver I have to be." We are told to be generous to everyone ... except ourselves.


   The tensions of family get-togethers, end-of the year expenses, looking outside ourselves for satisfaction and validation for a job-well-done can take a heavy toll. We find the gift either wasn't appreciated or wanted. We may even find it sold-out before we try to buy it. We are looking for satisfaction and finding frustration. No wonder the holiday season can have the opposite effect we expect.



   We enter the "most wonderful time of the year" following riots in stores over $4 waffle irons, pepper-spraying those who would cut in a checkout line and walking over a dying man to get to a sale item. Perhaps the focus on material items has gotten out of hand? When we put ourselves and others at risk in order to buy a holiday present, it seems our priorities may be just a bit out-of-whack.



   We may feel sore and stressed-out, empty and dissatisfied. Is it the season or the idea of giving that is the problem? No, the problem seems to come when we look into the nature of the gift. Are we genuinely giving what mirrors our love and concern for the recipient? Or are we falling into the "thing trap"?
I'd like to believe that we want the best for our fellow man and woman as well as our family and friends and we are merely under too much pressure to consume, buy and spend by retailers. Push has definitely come to shove and we need to step back and reconsider.



   Finding some quiet time for ourselves to reflect on what is really important can be very helpful.



   What can we give that shows we care, that we want the best for the receiver? What can we enjoy giving, knowing that our gift will be well received? How about the gift of health, of comfort in the morning, easy breathing and movement during the day, pleasant sleep at night?



   How can we do that for those we care about? Promise to be an exercise or diet partner so they can develop a healthy regimen. Offer them an appointment or set of appointments with a health practitioner so they can bring back balance and comfort into their lives. Just as we can do for ourselves.
Taking care of ourselves and those we care about doesn't have to be so hard on us or on them, just give the gift of health.
© Kevin Minney 2011


Special Holidays Offers- 
Free De-stress Kit from Heartmath Institute- 
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