| Holidays are the time of year to seduce the senses | | | | run.-Exercise with a friend. If you exercise with a friend, |
| and bolster the bonds | | | | you're more likely not to break your commitment. Use |
| between family and friends. But even the hardiest of | | | | the time to catch up, vent, release stress.-Walk during |
| revelers can succumb to holiday stress. Fret not, you | | | | your child's sport event. Walking around the gym or |
| weary holiday warriors. Below are tips for | | | | field |
| managing holiday stress. These holiday stress tips | | | | during your child's sports practice or event will help |
| include ways to stay | | | | you burn more |
| organized, ways to volunteer your time, decorate, | | | | calories than sitting on the bleachers.-Don't park near |
| shop, cook, and even write cards - all the while making | | | | the door. Whether it's at home or the mall, parking |
| your health and happiness top priorities.Time | | | | further away can help. Those additional steps do add |
| Management Tips to Minimize Stress: Stress and | | | | up during a day of shopping. Managing the Diet During |
| depression often go hand in hand. It is estimated that | | | | the Holidays: Avoiding high calorie holiday foods is |
| 10 percent of the population experiences | | | | often difficult. But don't have post-holiday regret by |
| depression triggered by stress. You can minimize | | | | overeating now. Follow these simple guidelines to avoid |
| these unwanted effects by | | | | temptation.-Set sensible goals. Set a realistic limit on |
| controlling time spent on holiday chores.-Set limits. | | | | how much you will eat and |
| Don't try to do everything in one day or one weekend. | | | | drink before you go out. Limit your visits to the buffet |
| Map out | | | | table and how many items you'll get. Remember to |
| your holiday schedule, decide how much you can do | | | | praise yourself afterward for keeping your |
| at any given time and stick with it. Don't forget to ask | | | | promises.-Eat in before you head out. Eating a healthy |
| for help if needed.- Take time for yourself. It's easy to | | | | meal before you leave home for a holiday party will |
| get burdened with a to-do list but | | | | prevent you from overeating. You'll also be able to |
| while writing down your To-Dos, remember to pencil in | | | | focus on family and friends.-Don't mingle near food |
| time for relaxation and daily rest. Complete a | | | | trays. Try to stay away from tables loaded with hors |
| crossword or Sudoku puzzle. Take a walk, a nap or a | | | | d'oeuvres or candies and snacks.-Bring your own. See |
| long, hot bubble bath. These little mental and physical | | | | if you can bring a veggie tray or something else |
| breaks are quick ick-me-ups that will rejuvenate | | | | nutritious for you to snack on.-Inform gift-givers. Let |
| you.-Help others. If you have the time, volunteer. If you | | | | family and friends know that you do not want food as |
| have the money, cut a | | | | a gift. If they ignore your wishes, you can always give |
| check. Helping those less fortunate than you can lift | | | | the foods to a |
| your spirits and remind you what the holidays are | | | | homeless shelter.-Just say "No." It may be difficult to |
| about. Suggested organizations include the Arthritis | | | | do, but if the host offers you |
| Foundation's Jingle Bell Run, the Marines Toys for Tots | | | | seconds, politely but simply decline their |
| Foundation, Meals on Wheels, or even helping the Red | | | | offer.-Remove food altogether. Instead of meeting |
| Cross with the hurricane victims. Your available time | | | | friends and family at a home, try getting together at a |
| and/or money will dictate whether your benevolent | | | | holiday concert, theatre, museum, or sporting event. |
| efforts are small or grandiose.-Remember what's | | | | Shop Smart to Relieve Holiday Stress: Instead of |
| important. Holidays are about family, friends and your | | | | walking aimlessly from store to store, follow these do's |
| religious beliefs, not about who got what gift. Take | | | | and don'ts so gift browsing doesn't lose its luster.-Do |
| part in events that make you feel good and say no | | | | browse at home. Visit Web sites or review catalogs |
| the others.-Skip the holiday spirits. Alcohol, a | | | | of your favorite |
| depressant, can dampen your mood. It can affect | | | | stores. Make a list of items you want to purchase, call |
| sleep, increase stress, and exacerbated existing | | | | ahead to see if the |
| medical conditions.-Laugh out loud. Remember to enjoy | | | | item is in stock, and have the salesperson hold it for |
| yourself. In fact, make it the number one priority. | | | | you. Better yet, order by phone or online and save |
| Laughter is excellent therapy for holiday stress. Even | | | | yourself a trip.-Do map it out. If you are going to |
| giggles can relax muscles, boost circulation and help | | | | numerous stores, set a course of action |
| dissolve stress.-Make compromises. If time is getting | | | | and stick to it. List where you need to go and what |
| the best of you, skip the card writing. Instead, multitask | | | | items you need for each |
| your holiday well-wishes. Grab your hands-free | | | | store.-Don't procrastinate. Joining the mayhem of |
| headphone and call your friends to wish them happy | | | | Christmas shoppers between Dec. 10 and Christmas |
| holidays. Talking to friends and family will boost your | | | | Eve will only add to your stress, and you'll probably |
| spirits. If you still want to send cards, get printed ones | | | | spend a lot of time on your feet in long lines. You |
| to save time.-Don't create a financial burden. Don't | | | | should plan ahead, start early, and shop at a leisurely |
| cause added worry and stress by overspending. | | | | pace. Stores are less crowded early or late on |
| Simplify gift giving. Ask family members to do a | | | | weekdays.-Don't shop the mall. Scarce parking spots |
| grab-bag gift exchange. Or forego the gift exchange | | | | and long lines can make the mall a very stressful and |
| altogether. Enjoy less expensive | | | | unfriendly place. Try to visit main street style shops or |
| entertainment by driving to decorated houses or going | | | | open air shopping areas. Parking is usually plentiful, you |
| to free concerts. | | | | can visit multiple shops, and you can get some fresh |
| Tone Down the Decor: Twinkling lights and poinsettias | | | | air in between.-Don't lose your cool. Don't beat yourself |
| sprinkled throughout the house and home do wonders | | | | up if you can't find exactly what you are looking for. |
| for the holiday spirits. However, doing the | | | | Remember, it's the thought that counts.Managing |
| "Christmas Threw Up On My House" type of | | | | Mealtime: Although a home-cooked meal is probably a |
| over-decorating will push you over | | | | tradition at your home, long hours over a hot stove can |
| the edge. Here are a few tips to help the Griswald in | | | | take its toll. Cut down on cooking time and holiday |
| you from going | | | | stress by starting a few new traditions.-Offer a buffet. |
| overboard.-Go artificial. You can buy an artificial tree | | | | Why lug all the dishes from the kitchen to the table? |
| with the lights already | | | | Make it a buffet. Line up plates, food, then utensils and |
| attached. Places like Wal-Mart and The Home Depot | | | | napkins. Your guests will enjoy not having to mess |
| will put a tree together for you. To spruce up a room, | | | | with utensils while filling up their plates.-Make it a |
| use artificial wreaths, garland, poinsettias, and holly | | | | potluck. Why do you have to do all the cooking? Ask |
| branches. They won't need watering and won't drop | | | | friends and |
| needles, which saves time on maintenance and | | | | family if they can bring a certain dish to share.-Go |
| clean-up.- For many people, going artificial is almost | | | | disposable. Washing dishes doesn't have to be part of |
| sacrilegious. If you must have a live tree, take the | | | | the tradition. Use disposable and inexpensive cooking |
| stand with you. Ask the handler to set the tree in the | | | | tins. Dixie's Stoneware even offers |
| stand then load and go.-Lay on lights. If you're lighting | | | | decorative dining plates and bowls.-Order out. Leave |
| the outside, use the ones that lay like a blanket and | | | | food preparation to someone else. Local caterers and |
| drape them over bushes and trees.- Better yet, check | | | | grocery stores can provide dishes or entire meals.Go |
| your local paper for people advertising to string your | | | | Online For Gifts This Holiday Season: This year, shop in |
| lights for a fee. This service is becoming quite popular | | | | your underwear to sidestep holiday stress. Shopping |
| as time becomes more valuable. If you can't find a | | | | on the Web saves time and energy that's traditionally |
| company to string your lights, hire a | | | | spent schlepping from store to store. It's never been |
| neighborhood boy or girl to do the job.-Hang together. | | | | easier to find a rare collectible or a sweet sentiment to |
| If you're having a get-together, ask everyone to bring | | | | send to someone over the holidays. Online gift guides |
| a | | | | and Web-based catalogs provide a clearing-house of |
| decoration for the tree. The tree will be trimmed in no | | | | gifts that allow you to bookmark a gift idea to come |
| time.-Seek simplicity. Go minimalist. Try a grouping of | | | | back to later. This further simplifies online searches and |
| candles at different | | | | purchases. Comparison shopping is much easier online |
| lengths. Switch your regular couch pillows with holiday | | | | too so aside from saving time, you may also save |
| ones.Ways To Work In Your Workout: Between | | | | money by hitting the Web instead of hitting the |
| stuffing the bird and trimming the tree, life gets a bit | | | | mall.Finally, just remember to do what you can to |
| busy during the holiday season. Don't let the holiday | | | | prevent stress from wrecking your holidays. |
| crunch take its effect on your exercise regime. Your | | | | Remember to stop and rest, especially at the first sign |
| workouts will help burn the extra calories you will most | | | | that you've overdone it. Be sure to enlist help if |
| likely consume and it will also help ward off the | | | | needed. Taking time to relax, whether it's listening to |
| seasonal depression and stress. Here are a few ways | | | | music or soaking in a hot tub, will help you better cope |
| to get your exercise in;- Take three 10-minute | | | | with the holidays. And above all, have a happy, |
| workouts during the day instead of trying to chisel out | | | | healthful and blessed holiday season.Jeannine Virtue is |
| a full 30 minute workout. A 2004 study published in | | | | a freelance writer and mother of an Attention Deficit |
| "Medicine & Science in Sports" showed that three | | | | teen.Visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center at |
| 10-minute runs during the day actually resulted in more | | | | for information about safe and effectivealternatives to |
| total calories burned than a single 30-minute | | | | Ritalin, Adderall or other ADHD medications. |