5 Ways To Finish Out The Holiday Season, Stress Free!

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You know the one part that sucks about holiday time that doesn’t exist around Thanksgiving… The torture of trying to find gifts, for everyone.  And make cookies, and hang decorations, and go to holiday parties, and try to eat healthy.  Adding gifts on top of all that jazz is what can easily make you freak the F out. I have a few ideas….

5 Ways To Finish Out The Holiday Season Stress Free

1.  The Gift Of Being Stress-Free:  Ok, think about the people you’re buying gifts for.  Thinking of them?  If most of those people knew you were stressed out, driving around like a maniac, spending more money than you had, buying their gift from the checkout line in Target because you can’t think of anything else – they wouldn’t want that from you!  So don’t feel like you have to do it.  Wait until the next day, by them a good book, or gift card, and let the pressure of other gifts go.
2. Essential Oils:  This may or may not be a placebo, the essential oil trend, but I don’t give a fuck.  If it works because my mind is telling me to believe it’s working, or the oils are truly relaxing me – I’ll fucking take it.  Am I right?  I met an essential oil doctor (jk she was selling her oil potions at the grocery store & I stopped to talk to her), and she gave me a combo she said would help me relax.  (5 drops Lavender, 5 drops Jasmine, 5 drops Frankincense, 3 drops Ylang Ylang.)  She put it in a tiny spray bottle (here) and said to spray it on my pillow at night, on my clothes, mid anxiety attack – whatever.  I’ve become obsessed.  It’s so easy to do too!  Go to Whole Foods, get these essential oils, get a tiny spray bottle, and make your own secret Xanax potion.
3. Do Not Over Think A Gift:  I know you have that one fabulous idea to buy that beautiful gift for your best friend from that boutique shop 45 min away and it would be the best gift in the world, but you’re just not finding the time to get to the store… Don’t go.  Grab a cookbook, bottle of wine, jewelry, badass gift card & call it a day.  Don’t overthink you’re gifts if it’s taking too much of your time!  Like number 1, it won’t be worth it.  People would rather see an awesome, happy, rested, stress-free friend than one that manically drove a vehicle an hr away to pick up a gift they think is perfect.  Give that gift to them another time…  Make a list of names you have to get gifts for, but not a list of the gifts.  That restrains you from finding everything in one place!  Keep your gifting mind open in every store you walk in, and maybe you can knock it all out right there!
4. Let Go Of Things You Don’t HAVE To Do:  One time I had this mental breakdown over Christmas cookies.  It was super late, after a full day of work, and we have to go to a Christmas party the next night – I said I would bring cookies.  I love making Christmas cookies, but I was exhausted.  I had planned the week diligently because we had so much going on, and planned to do the cookies the night before the party.  The entire day, anxiety was revving it’s engines in the pit of my stomach.  I was so exhausted & calculating the time it would take to make the cookies meant I’d be awake until the next day.  As Wafiq was driving to Trader Joe’s at about 8:00pm I asked him to turn around.  Fuck the cookies.  I asked myself if they were absolutely necessary.  Will I be letting anyone down?  Will I be letting myself down?  Is sleep more important for my mood?  YES!  Since that day, I’ve been letting shit go.  Don’t do what you don’t have to do!  I went to the party rested, happy, and incredibly grateful I made the decision to skip the cookies.  As with any Christmas party, there was plenty of food, no one had a clue there were supposed to be even more cookies!
5. Stick To Your Workouts:  This is super important! Especially because food & alcohol are flowing during the holiday season. The quickest way to feel like shit is to eat, drink, spend your money, not sleep AND skip your workouts.  Your workouts will help you stay in a routine, clear your mind, take away stress, and keep you functioning.  This holiday season I’m trying to strictly watch what I’m eating so I don’t over indulge all month.  I thought it would be a fun personal challenge against temptation… everyday I consider eating numerous hamburgers & a plate full of cookies but so far have been good at setting boundaries.  If nothing else, sticking to your regular workout schedule is a MUST!

***ALSO DRIVE SAFE.  I know I post about this all the time, and I talk about it every day, but American’s are like wild animals in control of huge machines traveling a quick 80mph through other wild animals in machines.  Don’t do it!  Tame the animal!  I see or hear about deadly car accidents every day & I’m not surprised at all.  SLOW DOWN.  The gift shopping or wherever else you’re headed isn’t worth it.

That’s all I have for now!  Dubai posts coming up soon, follow along on my journey back via Instagram or Snapchat.  I’ll be there 🙂

Happy Holidays everyone! Please be safe & extra thoughtful…

Xx