While it's easy to say "don't stress, everything will work out perfectly," that really doesn't ring true in the eyes of us women. We want everything to be perfect and leaving it to chance is far to risky when so many people will be watching. Whether you are hosting the family dinner, a neighborhood party, or just in charge of gift duty for the kids, making sure everyone is happy with the final work is vital to our psyche. I call it Super Woman Syndrome and I suffer from an extreme case. I have learned that I have to practice some daily disciplines or you can count on my being a complete basket case of emotions and daily migraines. They are simple and effective but if not done daily, they don't work.
The first is to give thanks and remember the many blessing I have in my life. I take a few minutes every morning to meditate. I take a wide angle look at my life and remember all the amazing reasons that I love the life I live. I make a point to THANK others for the blessing they unknowingly gift my life. This is important because we are so focused on what we are going to physically give others during this season that we forget that truly the best gift we can give is ourselves and the relationships we have with others. It really does boost your spirits as much as singing loud for all to hear. LOL I love ELF for those that caught that movie line plug ;)
I also make a serious effort to give my body some love and get in at least 20 minutes of physical activity every day. The endorphin rush really does wonders to the weight stress can literally put on your shoulders. The movement releases acid build up in your muscles that make stress physically painful. This doesn't mean that I am telling you that you have to get in a killer workout everyday (although you would not regret it if you did!) but even a walk around the block or some jumping jacks, push ups and crunches to get the heart pumping and increase your brains best chemicals serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine which soothe the effects of tension and stress and may also prevent aging at the cellular level. (stress and tension WILL age you!) Really getting your exercise in first thing in the morning will prep your brain to be more focused and will improve your memory. You will set your day up for more efficiency if you just get it done.
Another daily activity I include to ward off unneeded stress is reading. I spend at least 20 minutes a day reading something inspiring and uplifting. I actually read more than 20 minutes every day because reading in the morning just puts me ina good mood and then reading right before bed helps my subconscious mind relax and dream happier meaning more restful sleep.
The next thing that I will share with you is to spend time getting yourself ready. As moms we often put us together last which means that we often run out the door in sweats and our hair in a pony tail. This is fine if you are making an unexpected run to pick the kids up from school because of sickness but it's not okay to go run the errands that you knew you had to do that day. They were scheduled so you need to schedule time to prepare YOU for those outings. It doesn't have to take long, but get dressed, wash your face, put on some mascara and lip gloss and if you still rock the pony tail well at least you are more put together than your jammies or sweatpants. You will feel more confident and therefore happier while out running around. It does make a difference and it will improve your tension levels and boost your mood. Nothing is more empowering than confidence.
Now, if you are hosting parties write out a plan. Don't just keep it in your head - write it out. Putting it on paper allows you to prioritize more effectively so that you can make dishes in advance if possible, get the proper decorations, have all the tables and chairs needed without the last minute freak out because you forgot to get the cream that is the key component to the dish you are serving. Really, making a daily list of things you want/need to accomplish that day will help keep you on track with less panic attacks. What you don't finish can be moved to tomorrow's list. This way you don't space vital activities and can more efficiently manage your time.
We all know that we have TONS on our mind at all times and we just add to that during the holiday season. Us women are magnificent multitaskers but we are not Super Woman, but by taking some time to do these activities daily, we can sure look like we are!
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