| Here's a late-breaking news flash:Christmas will be | | | | pressure. Stress comes from the outside, while |
| celebrated on the 25th of December this year!Of | | | | pressure is an inside job.Fight the cultural |
| course it's on December 25th, just like it is each and | | | | expectations.Give gifts of lasting value, such as time, |
| every year. And yet we act as if it's a surprise each | | | | story, reconciliation, understanding, belonging, |
| year.Remember what it was like to be a child during | | | | family.Have reasonable expectations for you and |
| the holidays:The anticipation.The excitement.The | | | | your family.Infants will get cranky because their |
| feeling that the big day was never going to get | | | | routine is disrupted.Preschoolers will squirm and wiggle |
| here.Consider what it's like to be an adult during the | | | | during the school Christmas play.Grade-schoolers and |
| holidays:Frantically running around, trying to get | | | | preteens will want to stay up all night on Christmas |
| everything done.Trying to live up to all the | | | | Eve.Teenagers will want to walk 20 feet away from |
| expectations and obligations.The feeling that we just | | | | you in the mall, be with their friends and ask "is that |
| don't have enough time.Exhaustion, crowds, stress, | | | | all there is" after opening their presents.Parents will |
| crowds, over-eating, crowds.We treat the holidays, | | | | get frustrated trying to cope with anything that says |
| at best, as if they come as a surprise, and at worst, | | | | "some assembly required." Here's a tip: Read the |
| like they are some kind of emergency.This turns | | | | instructions first.Plan, plan, plan ahead, and then plan |
| what is supposed to be a source of celebration into a | | | | ahead some more.If you've experienced a recent |
| major source of stress as we run around trying to | | | | loss, or this is the anniversary of a loss, don't feel |
| get everything done. And then we wonder why we | | | | you have to be jolly. Give yourself some time and |
| don't enjoy the holidays. I call it Frantic Holiday | | | | room to grieve.Remember that whatever you do, |
| Syndrome.That's the bad news.The good news is | | | | you are making memories that will last a lifetime.Visit |
| that families can fight FHS. Here's a partial list of do's | | | | The Article Guy for more leading edge tips and tools |
| and don't for the holiday season:Don'tFeel like you | | | | for writing articles that bring you prospects, publicity |
| have to have a Hallmark/Norman Rockwell holiday. | | | | and profits. You can also subscirbe to our monthly |
| Remember, those are commercials, with scripts and | | | | Article Empire Tips Newsletter. You are also invited |
| many takes. Our holiday is live.Compare this holiday to | | | | to visit my Express-Start Article Writing Program for |
| others, either someone else's or the best you've | | | | more information on the next article writing |
| ever had.Feel as though you have to please | | | | tele-seminar. |
| everyone.DoMake a distinction between stress and | | | | |