Why are
we so stressed? There are a lot of causes for stress; some are harder to handle
than others. But one thing I know is that we bring a lot of stress onto
ourselves. Holidays can be like that. What can we do to change that?
Make it
stress-free!
Take a
deep breath.
Take a
moment to quietly think.
Turn off
the radio, TV, and, yes, even your favorite playlist for a few moments and only
let a conversation with the King of the Universe occupy your mind. He’s in
charge. Do you trust Him?
If you
trust Him for your eternal destiny, won’t you trust Him for a day of
festivities?
Okay,
that was Tip #1. Slow down and trust the King of the Universe.
Tip #2:
When you feel that you can’t handle all the necessary preparations for the day,
do one of these three things:
- Get help. Ask a family member or friend to come help you with décor, baking, writing invitations, etc. Use this opportunity to teach your kids how to cook. Whatever you do, do it together.
- Delegate. This is usually the hardest option, but also usually the best. If there’s simply no time in your schedule to clean the house and make the pies, ask your sister-in-law to make the pies. Or have your husband vacuum for you. Trust someone else to be able to do just as well as you could (or maybe better!). And even if it’s not as good as you would have done, rejoice that someone else felt helpful and you didn’t pull your hair out trying to finish it.
- Delete. This is a hard one, too. If there’s no time to go shopping for all the food and make personalized place cards, forget about the place cards (because the food is what’s more important, and place cards are not. Sorry).
So, if
you can’t get it all done, choose one of the options above to get a load off
your mind. The meal should not be a production. If your biggest dream is to
hear Aunt Sarah say that your rolls are better than your mom’s ever were, then
your priorities are wrong.
Remember
this: people will be most affected by whether you were pleasant to be with or
not, but not whether you had a pumpkin-spice candle burning or if you put
enough cardamom in the potatoes. Focus on what is important, and purpose to
enjoy the day as much as anyone else!
Blessed,
Abby
Comments
Post a Comment