Happy Holidays

Written by: Christina Allen, Administrative Manager/Certified Life Coach 

As the holiday season is in full swing, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the chaos. Shopping, traveling, cooking and cleaning are just of few of the things on my enormous to-do list. These are followed by stress, anxiety and the irritation of not having enough hours in the day to get everything done. So how do you accomplish the list without the stress that follows?

Realistic goal setting is crucial to your stress levels and your motivation. In life coaching, this is one of the most important topics that we focus on.

If you plan to complete 15 tasks, that each take about an hour, you end up with 15 hours worth of work. If you plan to tackle this on a weekday when you get home from work, you may only have 4-5 hours to work on these tasks. When you are unable to accomplish the unrealistic expectation that you set for yourself, you may begin feel anxious, frustrated and overwhelmed. Alternatively, if you prioritize 5-6 tasks to complete over 3-4 days, you would spend 1-2 hours each day. That will give you plenty of time to complete your tasks, have a nice dinner and relax before bedtime. After feeling accomplished and motivated, you may be up for tackling an extra task without feeling overwhelmed. Here is a great template to help you plan your to-do list and integrate realistic goal setting skills.

Don’t forget to plan time to relax. It might seem silly to write “6:00-6:30: Relax” in your agenda, but if it’s scheduled, you’re more likely to follow through. Stress can have a large impact on your physical health as well. Stress can cause fatigue/insomnia, muscle aches, headaches, upset stomach, etc. There are many ways to relax such as reading, coloring, meditation, yoga, or simply taking a bubble bath with soft music playing in the background. There is always a lot going on during the holidays, but don’t forget to slow down and enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones.
If you’d like to learn more about goal setting, relaxation techniques or life coaching, visit my website here.
On behalf of all of us at Innovative Psychiatry, we would like to wish you a relaxing holiday and a happy new year!