Santa = Stress??

As I scrolled through stories on a health website, I saw a headline that read “Control Your Stress During the Holidays.” I scrolled further to find “8 Easy Tips to Keep Your Stress in Check This Holiday Season.” And even further down, I read “Simple Ways to Beat Holiday Stress.” Did I miss something? When and why did Christmas become so stressful??

Yes, I know we’re all running this way and that to get the tree trimmed, the house decorated perfectly, and gifts purchased for our loved ones (and some that aren’t so loved), but why do we put these tasks in our “stressful” column.

So have our lives become so complicated that we can’t pull enjoyment from a sparkling Christmas tree? What exactly do we put in our stressful column? Everything? Why are we not taking the time to enjoy everything we do instead of complaining about it?

I've had the Christmas Spirit from day one!

Christmas has always been (and still is) my favorite time of the year. It’s the only time of the year when I feel carefree and less stressed. When I was a little girl, I remember the smell of good food. I remember the site of my mom in the kitchen preparing tons of holiday treats. I remember being so excited about seeing my cousins at family get-togethers or watching movies with my dad on Christmas Eve before I attempted to overcome my excitement and go to sleep. I remember waking up Christmas morning and running down to our living room to see our 10-foot tall Christmas tree decorated to the max with stacks of presents underneath. I remember finding a half-eaten plate of cookies next to the fireplace and a note with the most beautiful script handwriting – handwriting that only Santa himself could produce. Those happy memories continued through the years and still continue today. It was just a few years ago that my nieces stood at the living room door and watched Rudolph playing in the yard while a big jolly elf stood nearby ho-ho-hoing. How could making memories like these be labeled as stressful?

My big sister, Crysta, and I digging through our stockings

And don’t try to use the adult excuse – “Well things are harder now because we’re adults, and we are the ones who have to prepare the food, and buy the presents, and plan a big holiday get-together for the family.” Nope, I’m not buying it. I LOVE buying presents for people! To see the look on my grandmother’s face when she opens a simple present – a picture of her family displayed in a plain black frame. I look forward to seeing the expression on my cousins’ faces as they unwrap and lay eyes on a very special gift I knew was for them as soon as I saw it. Being an adult doesn’t mean Christmas is automatically stressful. Yes, I know we have more things to do, but I enjoy getting out the Frosty the Snowman snack platters I only get to use once a year and stacking them full of pigs-in-blankets to enjoy while watching a Christmas movie with my husband and sister-in-law.

Maybe instead of viewing all of these holiday “stresses” as negatives, we need to take a step back and realize how lucky we are to have a home to decorate, money to buy a Christmas tree, and loved ones to buy gifts for (even the annoying, pesky father-in-law.) Plus, if you’re a Christian (which I am), why not reflect on the ultimate gift of all – the birth of the baby Jesus, a child who would grow and ultimately give his life for all mankind. Throughout the year, so many of us want to be loved, but we reject the season where everyone is giving love freely. Cue the therapist… Why do people automatically deem this season that is full of love, family, fun, and (don’t forget) good food stressful? The only worry I’ll have during the Christmas season is how long it’s going to take me to work off all the ham, turkey mashed potatoes, and Christmas cookies!!