Managing stress this holiday season

By Courtney Bousquet, Guest Contributor

The holiday season is here, whether you like it or not. Stores are decked out in glitter and shine and holiday tunes are blaring on the radio, all while you are trying to keep your head above water managing work and home activities. It is important to know your limit and look at your calendar with an open mind when trying to develop a plan this holiday season. Todd Wheeler, President and CEO of Concierge Colorado and Hospital Concierge of America, has a few pointers to help you feel less stressed this holiday season.

1. “Set realistic goals.” Most of us are not superheroes; we can’t be everywhere all at once. Think about your commitments and what you can realistically accomplish. Yes, it would be nice to plan a holiday gathering for your friends or coworkers before the holiday. But oftentimes vacations and previous gatherings may make finding a date last minute difficult. Instead, focus on the New Year and have a post-holiday gathering to celebrate the New Year.
2. “Set up an organizational plan.” Think about the tasks you have in front of you and consider how much time each task requires as well as the deadline associated with each. Through organizing your tasks you can set aside the appropriate time to complete them, controlling time and asking others to help get things accomplished.
3. “Break big projects into smaller tasks.” With the gift giving season here, make it easier on yourself. Instead of buying different gifts for each person, consider breaking it down into groups: gift cards for the members of your team, scarves for your female friends, gloves for your male friends and so on. Do not go into a store wandering. Set out to accomplish your task by creating a list of gifts and crossing them off as you go.
4. “Keep track of finances.” It’s no secret that the holiday can be hard on your wallet and budget. Combat this stress by creating a system to keep track of your spending. It could be as simple as having an envelope set aside to keep your receipts, then setting aside time at the end of the week to tally and record your spending to ensure you’re within your budget.
5. “Ask for help.” It’s the Season of Giving, but you also cannot give all of yourself all the time. Consider the tasks you have and which ones you can trust someone else with. Ask your spouse if they wouldn’t mind shopping for their side of the family. Ask coworkers with less on their plate to help out with small pieces of bigger projects.
6. “Put off until tomorrow, what you can.” If you can put the task off until tomorrow, when you’ll have more time to complete it, do so. No sense stressing yourself out today if it is not urgent.  Some priorities can be confused as urgent when they are not and delaying them a few hours can save your mind the unneeded stress. However, do not keep putting off your tasks or else you’ll be even more frazzled!