Merry Freakin' Christmas.

Before you read this and judge me.. I know the 'reason for the season', k?

The days are ticking by and we are closer and closer to Christmas. My feelings toward the holiday seem to change day to day. Some days I'm smiling and singing along with the Christmas music on my radio and other times, I am in sheer panic mode.

There is shopping to do and family gatherings to squeeze in.
Is everyone going to like the gifts I got them?
Will I forget someone?

With all the glamorized, expensive gifts and my worries of falling short, I'm about to explode. It's making the season less than enjoyable and me a little less than lovable. Don't pretend like you aren't overwhelmed.

 

I have to shake it off.

 

Here are some things I do to distress- anytime.

• Shower! I call bullshit on the whole bath thing. I don't get into the idea of sitting around in my own dirty water to clear my mind. I prefer a nice, long hot shower. There's just something about feeling squeaky clean that makes me feel better.
• Indulge! Comfort eating is one of my downfalls but it's totally a guilty pleasure. I love to create snacks in the kitchen and plop down on my couch to enjoy. Great cheeses and tasty crackers. Special Chocolates. Yep. That's where it's at. If I'm feeling overly stressed, I always reach for pasta.
• Shut up! Typically I think you'd find "Go someplace quiet" on another person's list. Well, not me. I think it's more helpful for me not to talk or make noise. Just take some deep breaths and submerge myself into whatever I'm doing... quietly.
• Drive! When I was a young teenager, one of my favorite things to do was to drive in the country with the windows down and music blaring. As a 30 year old woman, that has not changed.
• Create! I've always had a little bit of a creative mind and nothing gets me out of a funk quicker than a project. I try and keep it simple though like rearranging things on my kitchen counter tops or organizing a drawer.
• Wine! I don't think alcohol fixes everything and certainly not becoming belligerent but a glass of wine can typically take the edge off. Make sure that when you indulge in wine, you aren't in the mood to cry. One glass leads to a bottle which leads to two and then your head is in the toilet. And that just starts your troubles all over.
• Talk! If I can't fix my problem with the quiet approach, I'll talk it out. Tyler gets to hear most of my anxiety. I'm glad that he loves me after I've shoved my face full of food and poured my every worry onto him.
• Laugh! Once I've gotten the chance to spill, Tyler is always there to make me laugh. I don't know what it is but I cannot control myself with him. He can always make me laugh and forget about my troubles.

 

It's super important when you feel the itch of anxiety and depression start to kick in, that you immediately start trying to remedy the problem before your mood affects everyone around you. With Christmas approaching, how do you unwind and avoid the Holiday Bah-Hum-Bug?