Getting the whole family together, traveling, Christmas shopping, packing, finishing all the unfinished business you meant to do weeks ago, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, ahhhhh the list goes on and on!! Every year, I tell myself I'm going to do better at managing this time of the year, and every year I find myself back in the same predicament as last year....stressing to make it through these next couple of weeks. Luckily for me, I'm an educator so I get two weeks of vacation. This is so needed and appreciated!!
Things that usually stress me out during this time of the year are: packing to travel, and the shopping. Now I love to travel and I love to shop, but when you have to do everything at once, these things start to become my least favorite things. I usually travel to see my sister and brother-in-law for the holidays so I have to pack for an extended stay. I'm weird about how I pack though (which probably causes me more stress). I have to pack a bag for the weekend I spend in Richmond (I go to Richmond first then fly out of RIC to get to Ange), then another bag(s) for the trip to Memphis (that's where Ange and Chika live now). All of this baggage is stressful within itself because I just come with so much stuff. I'm sure there's got to be a better way of packing/traveling, yet I haven't mastered this yet...*sigh*. Right now I have a full sized suitcase, a carry-on sized suitcase, and a duffle bag. Don't forget the purse and my coat that I'll be toting along on top of my magazines that aren't quite fitting in my carry-on right now.
With shopping, I always tell myself to start shopping early, but that rarely happens. My mom used to shop for Christmas all year round! She'd start for next year's Christmas on December 26th of this year. She never seemed too stressed about her holiday shopping. I suppose it was because she did it all year round so by the time December came, she probably only had to get a few things to tie everything together. I didn't do too bad this year, but a few people I forgot to shop for (that I forgot to shop for last year and the year before) are my coworkers. It's that awkward moment when people are coming with gifts and cards for you and you have nothing to give back. I know Christmas is not about receiving, but they've got to feel some kinda way that I never have anything to give back to them. It always slips my mind until I get to school and there are several cards on my desk and other goodies from various people in the building. I told myself that next year I'll try to remember them and at least make a photo card through Snapfish or something!!
With all this stress talk, "The Holidays" are also that wonderful time of the year for EATING!! And lots of it!! According to this poster at my gym, the average person gains 8 pounds during the holidays! Eeekkkkk YIKES!!! 8 pounds!!!??? With all the eating (Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner), drinking, and the plethora of desserts being offered, I can totally see how gaining 8 pounds can happen if you're not careful! My gym has a challenge going on right now that encourages participants to weigh in every week from November 1st to December 31st and you must stay within 2 pounds of your original weight (well you can lose, but you can't gain more than 2 pounds). I decided to sign up to keep me focused and to remind me that I cannot be that one who just carries on as if it doesn't matter that I've participated in the "eat, drink, and be merry" festivities without a care in the world. Thus far, after Thanksgiving I gained 2 pounds (ahhhh almost got a penalty for that one), but I have since lost it by getting more serious about my diet and putting in some really intense workouts. I hope to practice self-control for Christmas and to continue to work out regularly while I'm on vacation. I believe I can do it!
What stresses you out the most during "The Holidays" and how do you deal with it?
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