Stress: Ease Holiday Pressure Tips

I hope you are all well and enjoying the beauty of the snow!!! I just wanted to send you some tips I received from my trainer Patricia Crane as they are very useful especially at this time.

In our already busy lives, the holidays are often a time of more stress rather than more joy and fun. Buying presents can stretch the family budget, demands on time increase, and family gatherings can be a challenge. This year simplify your life with these tips and enjoy the season more!

1. Begin with affirmations that this season is a fun and enjoyable time for you and your family. When you become aware of any negative thoughts about the holidays, tell yourself, 'stop!' Affirm that everything will get done easily.

2. Practice stress management! Remember to breathe deeply and easily, letting your shoulders, neck, and back relax and let go.

3. During the holidays the average person gains 5 pounds and then has to do a New Year's Resolution to lose them! Set an intention to maintain your weight. Plan lower calorie desserts- or don't even serve a dessert. Eat less the day before you are going to a party or big meal. Do simple things to move more, like dancing to your favorite songs or parking further away from the office so you walk more.

4. Simplify your gift giving by setting a theme. For example, make this a music year where you buy everyone a CD of their type of music. You can do all your shopping in one store! Or purchase gift certificates online. Now that's really easy!

5. Rather than buying gifts for friends, suggest that you spend time with each other instead. Go to a movie or share a meal. You'll save hours of trying to decide what they want, shopping, wrapping, etc.

6. One poll in an American study discovered that 83% of people (and I'm sure this is true of people in Ireland & other countries as well) wanted more time to spend with their families. Set a time to go to a fun holiday activity with your family and consider it as a present to each other.

7. Set a budget for not only gift giving but decorating and entertaining as well and stick with it. In January you'll be glad you did.

8. If family gatherings are something you look forward to, wonderful!! However, if they tend to be a challenge, prepare emotionally ahead of time. Visualize yourself staying calm. Remember Don't Take It Personally.

9. Contribute to a community agency that is helping others with food and presents during the holidays. Volunteer to help.

10. Plan ahead. Make a list of priorities and stay focused on them. Spend a few minutes at night deciding what's most important to get done the next day. Be reasonable in your expectations! Set boundaries for yourself. It's OK to say no to something you don't want
to do. Respect your own need for time.

11. Remember that letting someone know you care is the greatest gift of all. This season, say I love you as much as possible to family and friends. Let people know why they are special to you. And also remember to love and appreciate yourself.

Enjoy!

Loretta :)

Migraines Helped Through Reflexology -- Study from Denmark

Please click the headline above for the complete story from Sylvia Carlson. The results from this Danish research indicate that an astounding 81% of those in the study reported being helped by this therapy. Many even believed it was their cure. Migraine sufferers, that's worth checking out!!!! Was I one of those unfortunate enough to suffer the debilitating pain of migraines and even if I didn't know much about reflexology, after reading this article I feel rather certain I would give reflexology a chance. Also, I love visitors. Stop by my reflexology site, too.

Now a Member - Reflexology Association of America

This is exciting! This week I've officially joined the Reflexology Association of America. Membership in a professional organization like this seemed like someone else's dream. In fact, taking the bold step out of my comfort zone and onto the path of learning and education to become a Registered Certified Reflexologist (RCR) must have been someone else's dream, as well. In fact, in all reality, I believe my personal dreams were to0 deeply buried for too many years to even know they existed. Growing up with little encouragement from the home front to consider anything else than secretary or teacher as a future, I pretty much just made good grades because that seemed like the right thing to do, and received my B.A. just because it seemed like the right thing to do. That was in Journalism. Well, I didn't wish to teach or be a secretary, and it seemed like the next most right thing to do. . . . whatever the right thing is or was. RCR, like many other endeavors in my life, ...

Destress With These Suggestions

”Tranquility is life to the body, and contention is rottenness to the bones.” These incredibly wise words of King Solomon (at least in part) are seen at the top of this blog every time you visit. They also ring so true. Last week was not a tranquil one in the life of our family, and my body has felt it . . . particularily in exhaustion and what appeared to me as diminished mental capabilities at times. Anyone else been there?!? The events our family faced last week – some blissful and some quite sorrowful – were all ones we are unable to avoid. While we welcomed a beautiful new granddaughter into our lives, bringing us much joy, demands on our time and energy were truly stretched. Last week we also lost a beloved uncle, and readmitted my mother-in-law to the hospital once again as we watch her life diminishing. Stress is all around us. Sometimes, as in the situations above, it takes all that we have to make it through. Then our bodies let us know they are exhausted and in need of rest...

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