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Managing Stress during the holidays
December 9, 2006 Filed under: SMB — admin @ 9:26 am

With so much going on during the holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. So how do you manage that stress during what many consider the most festive time of the year? To top it off, as a small business owner there is the additional stress of balancing your time with family and friends with managing your business.

Here are some practical and effective tips for managing stress during the holidays.

Prioritizing your time – Make two lists of everything you want to accomplish, from chores to leisure time. Put the less pleasant activities that you must do on one list and the more enjoyable activities on the other. Then combine the two lists, interchanging the things you must do with things you want to do.
Avoid procrastinating – While some tasks seem overwhelming, putting them off until the last minute will just cause more stress. Try breaking big projects into little tasks, and they will feel more manageable. Incorporate these smaller tasks as separate items on your to-do lists.
Ask for help – There’s nothing wrong with asking for help for those activities that seem unmanageable. Also consider working with others to reduce the time it takes to accomplish your tasks.
Take advantage of down time – Plan your shopping trips during times when the stores are the least crowded. Stopping by the mall or a store during non-peak times will allow you to accomplish more and help reduce your stress as compared to shopping on a busy Saturday evening.
Avoid using your credit cards - When you use your credit cards you will spend the rest of the holiday season with additional stress thinking about what your bills will be in January.
Laugh away tension – Laughing gives your body, heart and lungs a good workout. It also lower blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension, and can relieve stress just as well as taking a nap does.
Set limits – Be realistic about what you can do, and schedule time for breaks. It’s important to make time for yourself. Don’t feel obligated to accept every invitation. Make sure your expectations for the holidays are realistic and practical.