Coping With The Holidays (Day 3)

Studies have shown that there is a correlation between the anticipation of Christmas and rising stress levels. The more that you look forward to the Christmas season, the greater amount of stress you feel. Part of this has to do with our illusion of creating the "perfect Christmas". Just like with every new Apple product, we strive to create the "Best Christmas Yet". However, with this thought alone, we put on ample amounts of stress on ourselves. I find that our Christmas budgets become bigger, the number of extravagant gifts grow, and Christmas party guest lists are endless.

I read an interesting story from Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul which touched me enough to keep Christmas minimal this year. In this story, a newly divorced mom of three tries to keep Christmas alive while having a tiny tiny budget. As you know, divorces are expensive and it led to her downsizing significantly and moving into a tiny apartment. This was the first year that her children were celebrating Christmas without their dad and she had already lowered their expectations. However, she didn't think that it was fair for the children to miss a Christmas due to their decision to separate. So what did she do? She made the best out of her situation. Scraping what she could, she bought a can of paint for her daughter. This was so that her daughter can paint her new room and personalize it. This mother also bought cheap fabric and made nice curtains so that their house felt more like a home. She worked through the night so that she can surprise her kids for when they woke up. Long story short, regardless of how much they have progressed since then and the number of Christmases that have past, it was that Christmas that stood out to them.

It just goes to show that it's not the gimmicks and the presents, but the feeling that Christmas creates. The feeling of family and traditions is what makes Christmas so special. That's what creates the perfect Christmas. So the next time you're stressing over colour co-ordinating your napkins with your decorations or when you're jumping from store to store searching for the perfect blowup Frosty for your front yard, remember that none of that matters. Remove your self-induced stress of the holidays and recognize that the best Christmases are the ones that are spent with your loved ones. What you'll want to take away from each Christmas is the joy of spending time with your family, the laughter you share with your children, and the memories that you create. Everything else is bonus.