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Are we having fun yet?
If this has become your family's holiday refrain, maybe it's time to STOP, BREATHE, REFLECT, and CHOSE a different avenue this year. Patricia Martin Arcari, PhD, director of the Calm Mother, Happy Child program, offers the following tips to help families reclaim the joy of holiday time:
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Spend some quiet time discussing what is important and meaningful to your family. Try to balance parties and spending with charitable endeavors. |
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Prioritize so you're not overloading your schedule. A handful of activities allow you to enjoy each one more fully. |
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Try to be mindful - in other words, focus on (and savor) the activity at hand rather than already anticipating what's next. |
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If the traffic or line for Santa starts your blood boiling, take deep (diaphragmatic) breaths, holding each one, and count back from 5. These "mini-relaxations" can keep you calm on even the most stressful days. |
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Be prepared to cancel plans if obstacles present themselves and the kids are melting down. Your vision of an old-fashioned stroll through the lighted Common should be abandoned when it's past bedtime and the wind chill is -10. |
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You are not Martha Stewart - enough said. |
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Be open to the one "close-to-perfect" moment. It may be unexpected, but it will leave you feeling warm and gratified. |
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