10 Tips to Help You Manage the Holidays with Grace by Stephanie Barker

Stephanie is a volunteer and member of both the Key Clubhouse of South Florida and Fresh Start Drop-in Center. Stephanie will soon be a Certified Peer Specialist upon exam completion. She is a real people-person and an active Street Advocate.

 

1. Managing an annoying, demanding or controlling person: Be polite, acknowledge that you are listening. Thank them for their input, saying “you could be right”. Then make an excuse and get up and leave the room. Do not promise to come back. Find somewhere to take a break, or take a walk. Do not participate, argue, or engage with the offending person. 

2. Do something simple and positive for yourself: Take a walk, do some exercise, buy yourself a small treat, pamper yourself, listen to your favorite music and dance or sing. 

3. Do something good for someone else: Make a call to someone who is sad or alone, smile at people, give some food to a homeless person; or any good deed you can think of. 

4. If you want to look up some jokes and be prepared to make someone laugh. 

5. Eat Tryptophan: This is a natural mood booster found in turkey, beans, and fresh green vegetables. 

6. Do not go to sleep early to avoid the day: Make yourself be as active as you can, engage in a hobby or do something you find enjoyable or generally do not take the time to do. Pass your time in a productive way that makes you feel good about yourself. 

7. Smile, even if you don’t feel like it: Research shows that even if you make yourself smile this sends signals to our brains which make us feel better. 

8. Make a gratitude list: Start with the basics like food, clothing and shelter. You will find you have more to add. Keep the list somewhere near you, or tape to your mirror where you will review it regularly.

9. Avoiding hugs or kisses under the Mistletoe: First thing find out where the Mistletoe is so you can avoid it. Look up in doorways and hanging lamps. Carry a package in front of you. Lean in like you are going to accept and quickly lean your shoulder in, or keep something in your hand. Give them a quick peck on the cheek, shake hands, or give them a pat on the back. 

10. How to get the kiss you want: Keep your eye discretely on the person you want to kiss, do not get in line. Wait until the last person is almost finished and approach quickly. (Only do this if you think the person may want to kiss you). If you are alone hug, pet or kiss a pet, hug a pillow, call someone and at the end of the conversation make smacking kisses into the phone. Kiss a movie star on TV, or kiss yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I love me just the way I am”.