PAUSE -11.44- Sidestepping Seasonal Stress
REFLECTION: It took a while to scan the listing of special events in Saturday’s entertainment column of our local newspaper. Five minutes later my head was spinning!
The first weekend of December offered a veritable frenzy of theatre productions, band concerts, choir performances, art and craft bazaars, light tours … and the list went on. They’re all good things of course. The question is how much room is there in our lives for even the best of things?
The weeks leading up to Christmas, Hannukah and other end of year celebrations are a welcome time of entertainment and celebration – reconnecting with friends and family and remembering the reason for the season. It’s a time when it’s way too easy to overeat and overspend. And it’s equally easy to overbook – loading up the calendar so heavily that even good things end up feeling like one more thing we must squeeze in.
ACTION: Here’s an approach that can help to keep the season light.
Though you may really enjoy all kinds of plays, choirs, bands and bazaars (not to mention parties, too), think deeply about how many you can gracefully fit into your schedule.
Can you move from one event to the next without a whirlwind of rushing and fretting? Can you be present to the event of the moment, without being preoccupied about what comes next or regretting what got missed? Can you enjoy a play this year and leave the concert for next year?
There are choices to be made. Balance the number of commitments you take on with the time and energy available, so that you are joyfully engaged in the events you do choose to put on your calendar. And try not to be too tough on yourself about those you cannot attend this go round.
‘Tis the season! Really!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: When it comes to treats of the season: “Whenever you decide to indulge – give yourself to the experience 100 percent. Complaining about how fattening cake is doesn’t change the calorie count one bit. If you’re going to indulge, savor every bit of ecstasy it brings you.” – Loretta Laroche
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK: For more helpful tips, see this article by Loretta Laroche on Tips For Managing Holiday Stress.
READERS WRITE: In response to last week’s message on Workplace Wishes, Pause reader AP writes: I really enjoyed and appreciated this Pause message. In my previous role, I championed our Work Life Balance initiative, and I’m pleased to say that some of our proposals, including tele-work, remote office connections, and flex hours are now being picked up and encouraged. I unabashedly used a lot of your ideas with our WLB group, and your booklet is a key component of our employee orientation package. Keep up the great work!!
Tags: burnout, overload, overwhelm, Pat Katz, Patricia Katz, pause, perspective, Saskatoon, speaker, stress, wellness, workload