As we move from pre-Christmas/New Year, into post, it’s not uncommon to start to feel a combination of anxiety, stress, and even buyer’s remorse. The build up to the Christmas/New Year/Summer holiday period is often a mass of anticipation, planning, scheduling, and hope for some relation, and family time.
However, it can also be emotionally draining, physically exhausting, and financially depleting. The combination of expectations, from partners, children, extended family, and our own personal objectives and desires for some “time-off” while also somehow managing to run all the errands/fix a plethora of items around the house, spend time with the family/children, create memories, remember special events/dates/occasions, all within a time and financial budget, is exhausting.
Often, many of us are left feeling we have either mismanaged our time, finances, or missed opportunities to create those “memories” that we all want.
It is not possible to be all things to everyone.
Repeat that to yourself.
And again.
It’s OK to occasionally take some time out for yourself, in fact, it’s more than OK, it’s necessary.
Below are 10 simple steps to help you manage this stressful session.
- Beathing/Meditating – Pick a time that suits you and allow yourself to breathe. You can do this in silence, or with music. You can choose a meditative approach, or just focus on hearing yourself breath in and out. Make this as short, or as long a period, as you need.
- Exercise – If you’re a normally very active person, then don’t compromise on your running, tennis, gym, etc., time. If you’re not that active, take a walk around your neighbourhood, on your own. If you are uncomfortable “just walking around” then add some headphones and listen to your favourite band.
- Coffee/Tea/Drinks for one – Removing yourself from your home, family/children/partner, even for 30 minutes, is healthy. Make it something you and your partner both do, separately. If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, find a local coffee place and take half an hour to sip your tea and watch the world pass by. If you’re not fond of coffee or tea, make it a milkshake, or orange juice, or other drink. This is about taking some time out to clear your head; the drink itself isn’t significant.
- Personal reading/movie/TV Series time – As with the coffee/tea break time; this is about personal time and space. You can do this at home, or away from home. Tell your family “I’m taking 45 min to relax and read/watch 1 episode of a Netflix series” and ask them to respect your time out.
- Retail therapy – This is not about spending money. It’s about spending time with yourself; and occupying your mind on things you would like to buy, rather than things you MUST buy (such as groceries, children’s schoolbooks/uniforms etc.).
- Pets – spending time with our pets has been proven to be very relaxing. It could be as simple as patting your cat while you are watching a movie (point 4), or taking your dog for a walk, thus enabling you to get some exercise as well as fresh air. Make it a personal thing, or a family activity. Take the dog to the local park, with the kids in toe, on their bikes, with helmets on. Play ball with your dog while your children ride their bikes and play in the park. You’re getting exercise, creating memories, and relaxing your mind. And the best part? Both your dog and the kids will be exhausted, and you can get back to that book you started!
- Switch off your mobile phone – Yes we all live with our phones 24/7, however, if you are someone who gets/expects 100s of calls, texts and emails daily, switching your phone to silent, or completely off, for a period of time, especially when you are doing another activity, such as walking the dog, or gardening, is an automatic stress release.
- Aromatherapy – Essential oils and fragrances have been used for centuries to help relax and calm the mind. You can burn incense, an aromatherapy candle, or oils through the house. Or you could add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a bath, or even a foot bath. You can drink herbal tea, or plant a small pot of herbs in the kitchen. Certain aromas have an automatic impact on our senses, while others induce positive memories. Both are stress releases.
- Create a list of “do-to” tasks you want to achieve this Summer. On the list, have not only jobs, but also activities with your friends/family. Make some of the jobs things you can do/want to do on your own, and others you can do with the family. For example, creating a potted herb garden for the kitchen. A simple task that will take less than 2-hours. However, it can also be an activity to involve the children. Take them to select the herbs. Allow yourself the extra time it will take when “shopping with children” that way the experience will not be stressful, but memorable. Involve them (if they are interested) in the potting up, planting and watering. You are creating memories, completing a task off your list, and in this case, also improving the environment you’re living in.
- Financial Stress Release – Don’t reprimand yourself if you have gone over budget. It’s very easy to do, especially this time of year. Acknowledge you have spent more than planned. Honestly review where you can make some savings, such as, the planned trip to the beach with home made sandwiches instead of going to McDonalds for lunch and an ice-cream as a treat. If there is nowhere to save money, then accept it. It’s sounds easy. It’s not. However, you cannot change the situation now, and feeling anxious will not help. Remember, more money is printed every day, what cannot be recreated is time. Try to reverse the negative thought into a positive memory, then review the above 9 steps, and use whichever ones will help you relax in this moment.
Stress is part of our modern lives. We try to cram so much living into life and sometimes are overwhelmed by our own expectations. It’s OK to feel down or anxious for a while, however, if your anxiety does not reduce, take your feelings seriously. Talk to your doctor, or other medical professionals.
Melbourne Building Works (MBW) has always been dedicated to the safety and independence of all Victorians, which is why we are proud to be an accredited NDIS Disability and Accommodation Modifications specialists & are committed to the improvement of every Victorian’s life.