Do The Holidays Stress You Out?

With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Christmas right around the corner...are you joyous and blissful? Or do you feel stress approaching?

Whether it's waiting on long lines as you shop for Thanksgiving ingredients and a turkey or the worry about cleaning and scrubbing your house for the company you are having over, the holiday season is not all happy happy joy joy for many people I talk to.

There is the budget to deal with and how much it will bend or break depending on the costs of hosting parties and buying gifts for those on your list (not to mention all of those who you should TIP at the end of the year. (CLICK HERE for that info!)

Then there are the Christmas cards. Do you still have to take/find a great family photo or picture of your kids to send out to a hundred people? If so, you better hurry on that or they won't arrive by the holiday!

Do you have to purchase a tree? And lights to go up on your house? I have already seen the parking lots have rolled our their plastic orange fencing and signs have been posted for buying 'real' trees. And some of us already have put our lights up or bought our 'fake' trees so that we can start decorating on Black Friday.

There are many women I know who face the pressure of having to bake and box up cookies for all of the family, friends and neighbors. It is a tradition that they fear breaking, so they spend HOURS and HOURS baking for every last person that expects a platter of those homemade cookies just like Grandma used to make.

The Christmas lists for your kids have you stressed out as you nightmarishly imagine the look of sheer sadness on their faces if they don't get everything they asked Santa for. Meanwhile, you haven't a CLUE what to get the adult men in your life...as they are always so hard to shop for!

You need to book now if you need your hair colored, cut, or styled for any of those obligatory Christmas parties you are attending, and finding the perfect outfit to wear.

I could go on and on...but my heart is already racing and all I want to do is ENJOY -- not stress -- the holiday season.

Deep breath. One day at a time. Do what you can do and FORGET the rest is my motto.

Best of luck. Whew, you'll need it!