Say Goodbe to Holiday Stress
November Stress Prevention

You name it. Whichever holiday stress you relate to, here is a stress prevention plan to ensure that you enjoy your traditional dinner party more than ever before.

Unchecked holiday stress gremlins wreak havoc at special family dinner parties, be they celebrations of Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Easter. It's Murphy's Law.

Wherever and whenever they can, these little imps strike when you feel most vulnerable. And you are highly vulnerable when you have high expectations and hopes that everything will go just the way you have planned for weeks, and sometimes months.

But, of course, that doesn't apply to you now that you are this far into the plan.

Once again, plan participants, it’s time for a perspective check.

Do you recognize this person?

Several times a year, at special traditional family gatherings, she/he morphs from a normal multi-tasking individual into a superhuman being who performs extraordinary magic.

For these events, she/he takes on a multitude of personas; event planner, social convener, gourmet chef, and supreme hostess and entertainer.

Add to that, the role of family counselor as siblings and relatives allow their frightened inner children out to play or engage in familiar squabbling.

You guessed it! This person is you, Chief! Is it any wonder that expectations run high with resulting fanatical stress and physical burn out?

Chief, you are the inspiration for my creation of this Gremlin Stress Prevention Plan.

Your accomplishments to date are truly amazing. Go ahead now and see how well you are doing with successfully aborted gremlins.

I hope you are feeling good now and happy that you stayed with the plan.

Keep the momentum going...

The Gremlin of Children at Christmas

Christmas Gremlin Havoc

Family and guests begin arriving for Christmas dinner around 4:00 pm. Grandchildren, all 4 of them, ranging from 2 to 10 years of age, are filling the house with laughter and excitement. Christmas is for children isn’t it?

What about Grandma? No time for the kids now, Grandma must attend to dinner preparations. The kids love Grandma and want to be with her.

Grandma politely asks parents to take the kids out of the kitchen. One of the little ones escapes and hovers around Grandma while she is moving around the kitchen between the hot stove and the sink.

Once again, Grandma not so politely reminds the parents to get these little ankle biters out of the kitchen. Stress is building. Parents and Grandma are becoming impatient.

Holiday Stress Prevention

Whether Christmas dinner, or Thanksgiving dinner, it is reasonable to request that children at these events keep out of harm’s way – particularly the kitchen.

Most children like to feel useful, even though they like to choose their own way to do so. Appoint a supervisor for the children who will direct them in useful activities to make their own contribution to the party.

See Character Roles and Assigned Tasks.

Holiday Stress Prevention

Many of the suggestions on this list are probably already attended to, but we want to keep Murphy's Law as inactive as possible.

• Put on your favorite Christmas music. Pour more brandy on your fruit cake and/or your plum pudding! And, yes, enjoy a little yourself too.

• Organize your Christmas music – if you wish to purchase new CDs, do it this month.

• Finish addressing your Christmas cards and letters and put the stamps on. Bundle them up for your next trip to a mailbox.

• Wrap up those presents that must be mailed now to arrive before Christmas - send them off.

• Label the Santa hats.

• There may be a few major gifts that you wish to purchase. Take some time to casually browse to find those perfect, carefully selected treasures for your loved ones.

• Try the fireplace to make sure it is working well. Replenish wood supply.

• Clean the windows, or have someone do the job for you

• Furniture: Arrange to borrow or rent what you need: table and chairs for extra seating; an extra table to set up a beverage bar.

• Locate and clean your dining room table extension.

• Borrow or rent extra dishes, glasses, cups and saucers. Place your order now for delivery in December – preferably the week before Christmas.

• Do you need an extra table with cloth and napkins? Do they need to be laundered?

• Have you thought of a Christmas table theme? If it’s to be different than last year, now’s the time to attend to it.

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas Day are fast approaching and holiday stress is building in most folks.

You are now among the minority of peaceful, confident, happy people.

Remember to meditate with your eyes closed for at least twenty minutes a day, and with your eyes open frequently as you need it. Now you have the ability to experience peace on demand - whenever you choose.

If you make your inner peace more important than anything else, you will stay present in the moment and you will feel calm, cool and collected even when confronted with the odd pesky gremlin that has escaped your scrutiny.

Have an embarrassing Christmas Day story? Click here to share it.

Next>>>November To Do List

Gremlin Havoc and Stress Prevention: January, February, March-August, September, October, November, December,

Glossary of Terms

Successfully Aborted Gremlin Report

Christmas Day Character Roles and Assigned Tasks

Return from November Holiday Stress Prevention to Last Christmas?