The IAA One Minute Blog

The holiday season is coming up, first up to bat is Thanksgiving.  While turkey day is a time to give thanks for our family and friends, it can become a stressful situation. Don't let the holiday season become something you dread, make it something you can enjoy.

Figure out the Issue

The first step in getting to a good place this Thanksgiving, is asking yourself, what about the holidays gets you down? Once you figure out the specific problems, you can deal with them directly. For many people, holiday stress is triggered by:

• Lowered defenses: It's cold and flu season and your immune system is under assault. It's getting darker earlier each day. By the time the turkey rolls around, you are worn out, tense and fragile. The stress of making everything work this Thanksgiving can make it harder to cope with your family than it might be at other times of the year.
• Toxic relatives: Holidays can put you with relatives you avoid the rest of the year.
• Unhappy memories: Going home for the holidays naturally makes people remember old times, but for you the memories may be more bitter than sweet. If you associate the holidays with a bad time in your life, this time of year will naturally bring those memories back.
• What's changed: The holidays can highlight everything that's changed in your life. That can unsettle a gathering and add stress.
• What's stayed the same: For others, it's the monotonous sameness of family holiday gatherings that depresses them.

Experts say the holidays can make people feel out of control. The key is to take control over the holidays.

Take Back the Holidays

This holiday season, don't unthinkingly do things the same way just because that is how you always do them. If the old holiday traditions aren't working and causing holiday stress, it's time to do something different:

1. Put stress in its place: People who get stressed out easily are more likely to feel intense stress during the holidays. Learn to put stress in its place and take the pressure off throughout the year.
2. Create the holiday you want: Make clear decisions on how you want to spend your time and resources.
3. Play games: Games can help keep things fun and light at family gatherings.
4. Postpone family feuds
5. Have compassion for yourself and others: Try not to think about how people "should " be.  Accept them as they are and release the tension from your body.

When stress is at its peak, it can be hard to stop and regroup. Try to prevent stress and depression in the first place:

1. Acknowledge your feelings: If someone close to you has recently died or you can't be with loved ones, realize that it is normal to feel sadness and grief. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it is a holiday.
2. Be realistic: Thanksgiving and the other upcoming holidays, don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals have to change as well.
3. Stick to a budget
4. Plan ahead: Set aside specific days for shopping and baking. Plan your menu and then make your shopping list. That'll prevent a last minute scramble for forgotten ingredients.
5. Learn to say no: Have multiple Thanksgiving invitations? Choose one or two and say no to the rest. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed.

Take steps to prevent stress that can descend during the holidays.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you to enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner and not stress over how it is going to get on the table. Make Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays something to look forward to, not worry about. Here's to a great start of the holiday season from IAA!

Interested in reading more blog posts on this issue? Click here and here!