Finding calm in the busiest season

The swirl of the holidays is upon us. With some planning and strategies, you can decrease the overall stress and increase the joy.

Thanks to retail trends, social media and television programming, the holiday season can seem like it stretches on for months. Beginning in late summer, we are confronted with jolly stimuli that can be both exciting and exhausting. Unchecked, it can be a reminder for adults that we must do more and give more to meet unrealistic expectations.

For children, it is a barrage of input that, after initial joy, can become overstimulating and upsetting. This holiday season, no matter when it starts in your family, you can help everyone in the household let calm prevail.

Recognizing that the stresses of the holiday can be managed — and even enjoyed — helps everyone find delight in the season.

The same strategies for managing stress during other times of the year can be put into play, but require a more concerted effort during the holidays. Making sure everyone eats and rests well are key, along with keeping a close eye on stress triggers. During the holidays, these tasks can be especially challenging. Some advice:

• Eat well. Avoiding sugar during the holidays can be tough, but try to limit treats and balance them with a proper diet the rest of the time.

• Get moving. The weather outside might be frightful, but make exercise a priority, even if it’s just walking at the mall or taking the kids to an indoor play park.

• Connect. Family togetherness may be a challenge with kids home from school while parents must maintain their regular schedules. Take opportunities, even short ones, to do activities as a family.

• Go analog. There is a lot of content coming at kids (and parents) through their screens, and during the holidays it’s in overdrive. Challenge kids to recommit to books, board games and other non-electronic hobbies.

• Shop on your own. Retail establishments in particular can be an assault on your calm during this time of year, and for kids, it can be way too much. Try to do most of your holiday shopping on your own — many moms find it less stressful for all.

• Shop on your own. Retail establishments in particular can be an assault on your calm during this time of year, and for kids, it can be way too much. Try to do most of your holiday shopping on your own — many moms find it less stressful for all.

• Keep a routine. It can be easy for a household to slip into chaos during holiday breaks, but maintaining some semblance of routine, like keeping bedtimes and mealtimes the same, can help reduce stress and make the transition back to school a little easier too.

• Plan ahead. A family calendar can help children and adults keep track of what’s coming up next, and provide a healthy sense of anticipation without creating anxiety.

The holidays can cause additional stress for children with anxiety, autism, ADHD or other disorders. In such cases, it may be necessary for parents to take the suggestions above to a more pointed level. If you anticipate that your child may be challenged by the activity, stimulation or increased social expectations of the holiday season, you may want to discuss these concerns ahead of time with your child, or seek the assistance of your health care provider.

It's an interesting paradox that the busiest time of the year coincides with nature’s slowest time of the year. However, recognizing that the stresses of the holiday can be managed — and even enjoyed — helps everyone find delight in the season.

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