Use Holidays to Relax, Not Rush

Forget spending hours cooking, shopping or hanging lavish decorations – focus on the important things in life this holiday season and just relax.

"Trying to do too much in preparation for holiday festivities can lead to over-exertion," said Dr. Kenneth Goodrick, an associate professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. "Take advantage of the time you can spend with your family members, and remember to set aside time for yourself."

Dr. Goodrick offers the following tips for a fun and relaxing holiday:

• Keep it simple. Don’t spend mass quantities of time and effort preparing a holiday meal or cleaning the house from top to bottom.
• Find a physical activity that you enjoy and implement that into an exercise routine. This will help you to unwind and relieve stress.
• Organize yourself by keeping only one "to do" list. Don’t have multiple lists on the refrigerator or in your work environment – this creates clutter and chaos that can trigger stress.
• Take time for yourself. Escape from holiday tasks by taking a long walk, soaking in a hot bath or reading a book.
• Know your boundaries. Don’t get so caught up in holiday chores and preparations that you don’t have time to do things that you enjoy.
• Use the holidays to catch up with family and friends. Instead of turning on the television, take this time to share old memories and make new ones with your loved ones.
• Cut down on the time and expense of shopping by assigning gifts. Have family members draw one name from a hat so that everyone still gets a gift without your pocketbook paying the price.
• Be thoughtful when gift giving by creating your own gift. For instance, write a personal letter to someone about all of their good qualities, or frame your loved one’s favorite poem or song.
• Develop projects that everyone can be involved in. For instance, develop a family history book by sharing stories and pictures with one another.
• Try to schedule a family evening at a resort or a park. This allows everyone to interact without burdening one person’s house in terms of preparation and cleanup.

"Everyone can do something significant and meaningful, and the holidays present the opportunity to explore options that allow people to reach self-fulfillment by relaxing and focusing on what truly makes them happy. Real happiness comes from relationships, not food or passive entertainment," Dr. Goodrick said.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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