I love sending holiday cards to reconnect with any friends from my life I haven't already hunted down on Facebook or Twitter, but the process of taking a skinny-looking, smiling, fancy black and white photo, writing a letter, scouring address books and spending a gajillion dollars on stamps often makes it one of my least favorite tasks of December (OK, January). Add to that the gift shopping, office parties, decorating and baking and you've got enough stress to earn you a nice, long hibernation.
Oh, and we can't forget family. That's right,family - the biggest stressor of all.
And maybe it's not so much our actual families, or even individual members of our families, but the spontaneous combustion, weirdness and humiliation that comes with having everyone in one confined space over cocktails, tryptophan and Jell-O salad that brings on the surge in blood pressure, sweating and claustrophobia.
Even if your family doesn't make you think about loading up on your happy pills in between the onslaught of casseroles and annual Pictionary showdown (and if that's the case, more power to you and please fill the rest of us in on how you escaped all the madness), the juggle of schedules and Secret Santas and in-law expectations can still wear you down.
The trouble with being immersed in all that stress is finding a way out. This list of ways to wind down and ramp up after you attend family events this holiday season will help soothe your spirit, get your heart rate to a good place and make you feel like you really can get a last-minute relish tray together after all. We've provided an inexpensive option and a free option for all budgets.
1. $10 music tune-up: Take the ten bucks you are tempted to spend on a bottle of Shiraz to hoard while you listen to your cousin tell the story about how boring house arrest is (again) and use that cash to download a new album you've been wanting. If you really need to tune out your family, cover up your MP3 headphones with your hair or a festive Santa hat and just nod and smile (that's probably what many of them would like you to do rather than spout off about the election anyway). If that won't work -- or hey, if you really do enjoy conversing with your relatives -- burn a CD and listen to the new album in the car on the way there and the way home. If the music helps you take some deep breaths or even thrash around a bit in a fit of centeredness, then all the better.
I suggest Dido's "Safe Trip Home" or Jeremy Fisher's "Goodbye Blue Monday." And when stress levels peak, simply play Emmy Rossum on repeat like I do.
2. Free music tune-up: Spend twenty minutes (they will be well worth it, I promise) to hunt down that giant box of mix tapes from the late 80's and early 90's we all know is hiding under your bed or in your basement or in your parents' attic. You will probably need another hour to find a cassette player, but that also will be worth the investment of time and cobweb removal. Get the tapes cranking and try hard not to think about all the Christmases past with the family. Instead focus on that one boy from Human Comm Theory class or how often you wore those acid washed jeans or the physics involved in fixing your bangs every morning -- all the things those songs remind of other than your family. And really, who can stay anxious when REO Speedwagon or Pixies or Prince is blasting?
3. $20 bathtub unwind: Stop by the store or order up some luxurious, organic bath stuff for yourself. Justify the cost of a splurging on products that might be just a bit higher end by adding it into the entertainment budget (so you put your own microwave popcorn in a Ziploc to take to that horrible animated holiday movie with the kids, big deal). Lock yourself in the bathroom with a cup of tea, a gratuitous gossip magazine and spend all the time you need spa-ing away the stress.
4. Free bathtub unwind: Rummage around in your kitchen and through your medicine cabinet for all the ingredients you need to whip up your own bath salts or herbal milk bath. With a little Epsom salts, essential oil or dry milk, you can do wonders for your tub and soak away a lot of your stress. Grab a novel off of your bookshelf that you've been meaning to read and make yourself a bubbly drink by splashing cranberry juice into the last of the tonic or seltzer from yesterday's bash and you will be good to go. The "do not disturb" attitude comes at no charge as well.
5. $20 yoga stretch: Many yoga studios offer walk-in rates of $15 to $20, making it relatively cheap for you to pop in for a class when you need one most. Find a class near your home or on the way home. Or consider mapping out a studio located around the corner from the big family fiesta so you can slip away and return an hour later, rejuvenated.
6. Free yoga stretch: My cable package comes with OnDemand, which is loaded with yoga, Pilates and stretching classes for free. I admit, I've yet to find a class that leaves me so relaxed that I question whether I should operate the car (as my favorite yoga teacher's classes do regularly), but they definitely get me to a more Zen place than when I skip the mat-work altogether. I suggest laying out your yoga pants, mat, water bottle and any other gear you might need so that you are all ready to go once you get home from the family party.
If you don't have OnDemand or cable, check out one of these wonderful podcasts or set up your laptop so you can follow one of these online classes.
7. $3 holiday card zone out: Stop off at a drugstore or office supply spot and pick up some fancy metallic markers that will inspire just enough creativity without the pressure of being craft-maniacal. Use these to turn the tedious task of addressing holiday cards into a perfect way to turn off the chatter from your relatives and turn up your artistry. I am a die-hard Sharpie marker fan, especially now that they come in lots of pretty colors, fine points and fat points. Add some swirls, snowflakes or impressive lettering to make each envelope unique and personalized.
8. Free holiday card zone out: Opt out of the expense of holiday cards and channel your creative energy into making an online holiday card from your family. Whether you choose to Photoshop a cute picture of your kids to email or use a free site like Evite, turn the task of sending cards into a de-stresser for you. Plugging in email addresses or playing around with fonts and themes can be surprisingly calming and completely free! (And cyber-cards offer you the opportunity to blame the big, bad Internet if any relatives accidentally-on-purpose don't get one in their inbox.)
What ways do you wind down or ramp up after stressful family events?
Read more:
- Why you should re-think drinking as a stress relief
- Work out to wind down, even in the winter
- Put the focus on people who really need your time, attention and donations
[photo credit: Getty Images]
