Seven Holiday Stress-busting Tips from the Experts by Jan Carley

What could be more stressful than a job with a 364-day build up that lasts just one night? A job that involves near-impossible physical output, wild environmental conditions, high stress and has the hopes and dreams of millions of children around the world riding on your performance? Yes, being one of Santa's reindeer is a tough job! I recently consulted Santa's Reindeer and asked them what they have learned over the years to minimize their holiday stress. Here's what they said: Tip #1 ASK FOR SUPPORT All of the reindeer agreed that prepping for the holiday season has to be a team effort. If you are trying to pull the sleigh all alone you will get exhausted pretty quickly. Who can help you with the decorating, the baking, buying gifts, the entertaining? Tip #2 SLOW DOWN The more hurry, less speed tip came from Dasher who told me he was much more effective when he was reined in. A lot of energy is wasted when we are frantically rushing from thing to thing. Consciously slow down this holiday season- reduce your speed, stop to smell the fir trees and wherever you are, remember to breathe. Tip #3 STRATEGICALLY SCHEDULE This tip came from Blitzen who said that rather than setting a schedule that has constant high levels of activity over several days that create exhaustion and burn out - it is wiser to schedule blitzes of activity that happen at your optimum physical and mental times. Let's say you are a morning person. Schedule an extreme blitz of activity on Saturday morning for 4 hours - schedule your high output activity to end at lunchtime. Then schedule in a nap to refresh you for the rest of the day. Do a blitz, then slow down and relax. Tip #4 HOLD A FUN INTENTION Fun-loving Dancer advises us to consciously hold a one word intention of Fun. Think about that intention in the 15 seconds before you pop out of bed each morning. Imagine how holding that intention will positively affect your day! Tip #5 HIRE A CLEANER Of course that piece of advice came from Comet. Don't waste a minute of this magical season with cleaning supplies in your hand. Instead - go outside and toss some snowballs with the kids. Tip #6 REMEMBER HOW SPECIAL YOU ARE Rudolph inspires us to focus on our unique gifts and how we can best contribute to this world. Ignore what everyone else is doing. You may not the person that was meant to struggle with making homemade shortbread. You may, instead, be better suited to leading the family singsong around the piano. What is your unique contribution? Rudolph found out that his shiny red nose was his gift. What is yours? Tip #7 REMEMBER WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT Cupid reminds us that this holiday season is really all about love. Focus your Gratitude Attitude and on a daily basis, count your blessings. Give thanks to that which is truly important and watch how the holiday stresses and pressures melt away and your positive emotions increase. Written by Jan Carley, Professional Certified Executive Coach, Creative Coaching Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada Download your Free 8-page 2014 REFLECTION GUIDE and create space for a 2015 of possibilities. http://www.teleseminarswithjan.com/reflection-guide.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8844827

Six Remedies for the Holiday Blues by Brandielee Baker

The holiday season is a jolly good time right? Well, for some, not so much. If you are one of the many people feeling the pressure to put on a cheery holiday persona when you are really feeling blue, these six remedies can help. Tell the truth! OK, I'm not saying you need to publicly broadcast it. But, if you want any chance of passing through the blues, you must, must, must, honor how you're REALLY feeling. Write it down AND speak out loud. Just "thinking" about it in your head will NOT produce the same beneficial effects. Here is an example to help you get started.EXAMPLE: "I am really feeling overwhelmed and sad this holiday season. It is important for me to acknowledge my struggles. I understand that by doing so I am releasing some of the pressure that I have put on myself to fit in and be happy. I also understand that by releasing this pressure I am giving myself the opportunity to relax and by relaxing I am giving myself the possibility for a better experience."

Get more air! Yes, you heard me right. Increased circulation and greater oxygen uptake is key. This is not only beneficial for removing the toxins and waste from your body, but also releases endorphins and changes your thought focus. So put on your earphones, play some upbeat music and get out there. Walk briskly and breathe deeply! 20 minutes a day is all it takes to make a difference.

Make sense with Scents! Our olfactory system, the fancy way of saying your sense of smell, has a very powerful effect on our moods. Scents like peppermint, rosemary, tangerine and lemon can be very uplifting. I will be releasing a more detailed article about aromatherapy in February, but until then find your favorite scents and sniff away!

Party Prioritize! You do not have to accept all your holiday invites. It's OK to say no and today I give you permission to do so. For the sake of YOU feeling well, limit your "have" to attend list to a MAXIMUM of 3-4 parties. HINT, HINT, before each party, do the exercise listed in Remedy #1.

List Your Awesomeness! OK, this may sound a little over the top, but hey what do you have to lose besides the blues? And umm, let's be honest here, your blues self-talk radio channel is NOT so positive or motivating. You do have the ability to feel better by getting your mind to focus on more positive self-dialogue. So, sit down and make a list of all the things you know you do well. Right now. Yes, get that pen out, or open your laptop, and start writing a list of what makes you amazing. What are you waiting for? And if you need someone to hold you accountable for just how great you are, send it to me!

Reach out for Support! OK, this is the most important one. Support is key for changing the blues for good. Why? Because that blues DJ is so awfully good at playing the blues songs like: nobody understands, nobody cares, I have to do it all on my own, I'm weak if I don't take care of it by myself. Sound familiar? Make today the day that you fire the blues DJ and get real. There is NO weakness in support! You matter this, and every, holiday season. You have the ability to get through these feelings. You also have the opportunity to get to the other side where you can authentically say, "I'm OK" and, "I DO feel better." Nobody else can do this for you, BUT that does NOT mean that nobody cares about you. And remember, I am only an email, or a phone call, away. May this New Year be your best yet! Wishing you complete success and health, Lee Baker Contact me for more information on the unique and powerful work I do at Positive Constructs. http://positiveconstructs.com/contact#sthash.BPC1l48l.dpbs Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8852615

7 Tips to Keep you On-Budget This Christmas by Paula Pant

It's that time of year again. Stores are running festive commercials, your local coffee shop is offering gingerbread lattes, and you're beginning to worry about how you're going to afford another round of "the most wonderful time of the year." There's no doubt about it; the holidays are expensive. From gift-giving to party-throwing, the holidays can be overwhelming if you're on a tight budget. Let's take some of the stress off your shoulders with some short-term tips for reducing the damage to your budget if you haven't pre-planned for the holidays this year -- and then outline a long-term strategy you can use to budget for the holidays next year so that next winter runs a lot more smoothly. Help! I'm Just Thinking About Holiday Expenses Now It's too late to "get a jump" on saving in advance for this holiday season, but that doesn't mean you're stuck paying through the nose. These budgeting tips will help you make the most of the money you've got for this season, however much money that happens to be.

1. Decide on Your Budget Be honest with yourself about how much money you can responsibly spend this year. Creativity and bargain-hunting can help you stretch your money a bit further, but only if you're realistic about how much money you have in the first place. How do you calculate this amount? First, take a look at your existing budget. How much do you normally spend each month on discretionary items like restaurant dining, magazine subscriptions or cable TV? Can you cut any of these bills -- at least temporarily -- while you save for the holidays? In other words, "reallocate" some of your discretionary spending towards your holiday budget. You can either afford to dine at restaurants or you can cover presents for your family, but you might not have space in your budget for both.

2. Lists Are Your Friend Last-minute emergency purchases are the easiest way to throw your budget into a tailspin. Writing lists can help you remain on track. Write down everyone you'll need to buy presents for this year -- family, friends, the office Secret Santa -- and write the dollar amount you have to spend on each person. Write down all the festivities for which you'll need to buy food and drink, from the family Christmas Eve dinner to the New Year's Eve bash you'd like to bring a bottle of wine to. Outline all the travel-related expenses you'll incur. Remember you won't just have to pay for airfare and lodging, but also for meals on the road, boarding for your pets while you're away, public transit or airport parking. Continue making lists of everything you'll need to spend this holiday season, from gifts to travel to parties. You may need to cut back in one area to make room for another -- for example, you might forgo mailing holiday cards so you can afford stocking-stuffers. 3. Shop Smart There are lots of ways to save on holiday gifts. Take the time to bargain-hunt and get creative by employing tricks like: • Booking your holiday travel during non-peak days (You can often find great deals if you're willing to fly on Christmas Day.) • Scanning group-buying sites like Groupon, Living Social and Amazon Local to snag services and products at a discount • Asking party guests to contribute a dish to your gathering (potluck-style) so you don't have to pay for the whole meal • Tapping into your own skills to create homemade DIY presents • Giving experiences rather than things • Shopping through cash-back reward sites to earn back a percentage of your purchase

4. Tweak Your Budget Temporarily If you're really up against a wall, you may want to institute an emergency budgeting protocol like you would for an unforeseen large expense like a home repair or medical bill. You can free up some extra room in your budget with temporary measures like: • Slashing other areas of your budget -- maybe you can forego eating out for the next couple months, or lower your cable plan since you won't be home to watch much TV anyway • Selling your unwanted stuff • Putting other savings goals (like your family vacation) on hold for a month or two • Check out a list of other saving ideas Long-Term Strategy Once this holiday season is over, it's time to turn your attention to next year. Yes, it's a full year away, but the sooner you get started, the easier it will be on you. Here are a few tips that can keep you in the holiday spirit all year long:

5. Start in January Don't let the holiday season creep up on you again. Start setting aside money as soon as the New Year starts. If you get paid every two weeks, divide your holiday budget by 24. This is the amount you should set aside from each paycheck into a "holiday savings" account. If you get paid monthly, divide by 12 and automatically divert that money into your holiday savings fund. This habit will save you from another moment of sudden panic when you realize the holidays are right around the corner. It'll be much easier to spend a little less throughout the year than to find yourself needing to drastically slash all your spending next November or December. In fact, planning for holiday spending can get you thinking about year-round budgeting tips.

6. Open a New Savings Account You don't want to dip into your holiday money before it's needed, so open up a separate savings account specifically for the holidays. Keeping this money separate from your other savings goals will help you monitor how much you've set aside and will safeguard you from accidentally using that money on other things. You can even involve your kids in your newfound focus on budgeting by teaching them money management.

7. Make It Automatic The best way to stick to any savings goal is to remove the potential for human error. Don't rely on your ability to remember to set money aside for the holidays each month, and definitely don't count on your having money "left over" at the end of the month. Instead, set up an automatic transfer each month from your checking account to your holiday savings account. Schedule it for the beginning of the month or arrange it to coincide with your payday. This money will be automatically allocated to savings before you have a chance to spend it on something else.