3 Steps To De-Stress the Holidays!

🎧 Show Notes

If we’re being honest, do the holidays have you feeling more scrambled than festive?

Has Ho-Ho-Ho turned into NO-NO-NO?

In this week’s episode, we revisit a fan-favorite message on why Christmas has quietly become one of the most stressful times of the year—and what you can do to stop the spiral. Between the shopping, the parties, the relatives you tolerate more than enjoy, and the financial drain that hits harder than a busted water main, it’s no wonder our stress skyrockets.

But here’s the surprising part: most of that stress isn’t coming from the outside world. It’s coming from our own “stinkin’ thinkin’”—the pressure to make everything perfect, meet everyone’s expectations, and live up to some imaginary Hallmark standard.

This episode breaks down three simple strategies to help you reclaim your sanity: real self-care, realistic expectations, and firm boundaries (yes, even with family… and your phone). If you’re ready to enjoy the season with more calm and a lot less chaos, this is your holiday reset.

If you’re ready to breathe deeper, sleep better, enjoy more, and maybe actually feel some peace on earth, this conversation is the reset you need!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Cold Open And Holiday Chaos
• 1:04 Welcome, Subscribe, And Reviews
• 2:07 Why Holiday Stress Hits So Hard
• 3:27 Stress Stats And Global Context
• 4:54 The Inner Game Of Stress
• 6:01 Focus On What Matters Most
• 6:34 Coaching Pitch And Benefits
• 8:14 Three Ways To Reduce Stress
• 12:03 Boundaries And Digital Detox
• 13:30 Mindset Shift And Gratitude

Transcript

Rick: 0:00

As we find ourselves once again up to our jingle bells in the holiday season, rushing around, preparing for Christmas, trying to squeeze 30 days of tasks into the next two weeks like 20 pounds of coal into a five-pound bag. With our stress multiplying by the minute, our blood pressure spiking like the stock market, I thought it'd be a great time to just share this message from a couple years ago, just in time to help us enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. Sorry about the sarcasm. Welcome to the Mind Ring podcast with your host, hello, where minor investments produce major improvements. This is the place to be every day. Next level growth. Hey, what's up everybody? Welcome to the MindMedic Podcast. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before. And hopefully it can help them too. I would really, really, really appreciate your help sharing this word with your friends and family as well. And if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode. If you've been listening to the show for a while, or been on the receiving end of my daily quote of the day emails, or maybe just catch my posts on Facebook or LinkedIn, you know I'm all about the quotes, right? If you'd like to start receiving my quote of the day emails, there's a link in the show notes to sign up. It's free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Alright, my friends, here we are again. The holidays are rolling in hot, like a Walmart shopper on Black Friday. And somehow this most joyful time of the year keeps turning into the most stressful week of our lives. Between the shopping, the parties, the relatives you love and the ones you just, you know, tolerate, plus watching your bank account drain faster than a busted water mane. Yeah, I see ya. But take a breath. Seriously. Inhale. Exhale. This episode we're breaking down how to actually enjoy the season without losing your sanity, your sleep, or your last good nerve. So pour a coffee or something stronger, and let's de stress this holiday chaos together. You know, as we entered this last week before Christmas, I think we all understand this is supposed to be the most joyful time of year, right? But for many people this has become the most stressful time of the year, doesn't it seem? What with all the shopping, arranging get togethers, anticipating or even dreading dealing with the relatives, trying to get all the work caught up so you can take a few days off, and watching that money flow out of your pocket like water from a busted mane after a deep freeze, there are many of us who extremely stressed out all day, every day, all season long, ho ho ho my ass, right? Well, if it makes you feel any better, it's not just you. And it's not just me either. This affects more people than you might imagine. I was just reading an article from doctor Alan Zimmerman the other day. Here's a couple incredible facts he pointed out. More than seventy five percent of adults report symptoms of stress, including headaches, tiredness, or sleeping problems. 80% of U.S. workers say they experience stress on the job. Seventy five percent of employees say they have more on the job stress than they did a generation ago. And twenty five percent of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. And lastly, nearly half of all U.S. adults, like fifty percent, say that stress has negatively affected their behavior. In fact, problems at work are more strongly associated with life threatening health issues than any other life stressor, even more so than financial problems or family problems. You'd think with all the resources and opportunities in the US, there'd be a lot less stress here than other places around the world. Nope. The most stressed nations based on a percentage of the population who reported experience stress are Greece, fifty nine percent, the Philippines, fifty eight percent, Albania, Iran, Sri Lanka, all fifty-five percent. And it's the same number the US is. Uganda, fifty-three percent. Costa Rica, Rwanda, Turkey, and Venezuela, all fifty-two percent. Those are some amazing statistics. There is as much stress in the US as several bankrupt, war tone, and terrorist states. In short, stress is extremely common and has skyrocketed in recent years. Remarkably, the main factor in our stress, regardless of where you live in the world, it's not your job or your family situation, no, it's your own stinking thinking. That's right, your stress is self-induced. No one can put stress on you but you. Your stress is an inner game, caused by your thoughts, your beliefs, what you may think you're supposed to do, what you think other people think of you, or your interpretation of what the expectations of others may be. I mean just think about it. Worrying about whether you get the right gift for someone, enough gifts for your spouse or kids, who you're excluding from getting a gift, or Christmas cards. What food or drinks to have at your party? Will you have enough? Will you have something everyone will like? What parties to attend? Which ones to skip? Well will I piss somebody off by not going? Should I decorate or not? Tree or no tree? The list goes on and on and on. That's a lot to think about. Lots of decisions to make, right? Hell I'm getting stressed out just thinking about this subject. See what I mean? So when you break it down to the truth, our only obligation is to ourselves. I know that sounds really selfish, but it's the truth. To enjoy the time during the holidays with our families or by ourselves, not having to make sure it's perfect for someone else, that's the pressure or the stress we put on ourselves. Now I know this may seem harsh, but all the people in your personal and professional lives are not equally important. For your own sanity, especially during the holiday season, focus on the folks who mean the most to you and get to the others later. The happiness of the rest of the world is not our responsibility, period. If you're looking for a competitive edge for your business or a more effective jumpstart to your personal development, I'll make your first step super simple. It is a fact that an incredible number of the most successful business owners, nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, top-earning professional athletes, entertainers, and industry leaders like Microsoft's Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Salesforce Mark Benioff, all have one thing in common. They all have at least one coach, and some have several, that they work with on a consistent basis. Someone that helps guide, mentor, and support them, challenge them, help them set and achieve goals that move them forward, and then hold them accountable to follow through, driving personal and professional growth. Working with a coach has many substantial benefits. Just for an example, 80% of coaching clients report improved self-esteem or self-confidence thanks to coaching. 99% of individuals and companies that hire a coach report being very satisfied, and 96% would do it again. If deep down you know it's time to make those improvements in your business, your personal life that you've kicked down the road year after year, if you're tired of knowing there's a better version of you waiting to shine, but unsure of how to bring that version to light. If you're tired of wanting to enjoy a more successful business, but not sure how to start, and if you don't want to go another 12 months without better results, but you don't want to go it alone, then take the first step. It's super simple. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference. Go to www.rixelover.com/slash contact, and I'll set you up with a free consultation call with me to see if one-on-one coaching is right for you. Since the great pandemic of 2020, our stress and decline in mental health has taken quite a toll on all of us. I think we can all agree on that, right? Reducing stress during the holidays is critical for maintaining our mental health well-being. So here are three effective ways I put together to help minimize the annual holiday stress. Number one, prioritize self-care. Take time for yourself. Amidst the hustle and bustle, carve out moments of self-care. Whether it's reading a book, watching a movie, taking a warm bath, going for a walk, make sure to engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can contribute to heightened stress levels. Ensure you maintain a regular sleep schedule, aiming for anywhere from six to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Bedtime and wake times should be consistent for best results. Get at least fifteen minutes of exercise daily. Get the body moving. There's a powerful mind-body connection that benefits your mind greatly from simple but consistent exercise. Incorporate mindfulness techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises into your daily routine. Mindfulness can help you stay present and manage the stress more effectively. Number two, set realistic expectations. Manage expectations. Recognize that the holidays don't have to be perfect. Set realistic expectations for yourself and others. Understanding that not everything will go as planned, right? Never does. Very few of us have ever had or ever will have a picture perfect Hallmark Christmas. That's fantasyland, man. Not reality. And the more you try to make it come true, the more disappointment you might experience. That doesn't mean you can't have a wonderful holiday season, especially if you let go of your perfectionism. And that may be difficult for some of you. Delegate tasks, don't hesitate to ask for help, and delegate responsibilities. Share the workload with family and friends to ease the burden and create a more collaborative and enjoyable holiday experience. Simplify traditions. Consider simplifying your holiday traditions. Focus on activities that bring genuine joy and meaning. And don't feel pressured to engage in every holidays related event or tradition that comes across your plate. And number three, establish boundaries. Learn to say no. It's okay to decline invitations or additional responsibilities if you already feel overwhelmed. Prioritize your well-being and be selective about the commitments you take on. Set boundaries with your technology. Disconnect from work emails and social media during designated times. This can help create a mental break and allow you to fully engage in holiday activities without constant distractions. I don't know how many times I've sat at a table in the holidays, watching everybody looking at their phones, answering text messages, sending memes or whatever. It's like, you know, we gotta put the stuff down. Disconnect, shut the phone off, turn the notifications off, put it in another room, whatever you gotta do. We really need to take some time to disconnect. And it's not just the kids and the teenagers and and the uh Gen X and millennials, it's us baby boomers too. We're just as bad as they are sometimes. So disconnect, take the distractions out of the equation, and just focus on the people that you're around and enjoy that the time that you're in. Communicate openly, discuss your needs and expectations with family and friends. Clear communication can prevent misunderstandings and reduce the likelihood of added stressors. Remember that everyone's experience during the holidays is going to be unique, so it's important to identify the strategies that'll work best for you. Implementing a combination of self-care, realistic expectations, and healthy boundaries can contribute to a more relaxed, enjoyable holiday season. And just so we're all on the same page, I'm not criticizing whatever your particular holiday tasks, traditions, and activities may be. We all have different priorities when it comes to this time of year, right? We all also have the same inner game going on that can drive our stress. Listen, I'm no exception. I really don't look forward to this time of year, not because I hate the holidays, I love the holidays. But I'm getting better at managing my inner thoughts. But the intent of my message this week was to try to give you an understanding of what truly drives our stress, share with you some tactical ways to minimize their effect on us, and a slight mindset shift to help you survive and maybe even enjoy the holiday season. Listen, I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you, my loyal listeners as well as the occasional listeners, for being part of one of the most gratifying things I've ever dreamed of doing, sharing my own personally inspirational and motivational thoughts, ideas, and experience with the only goal of hoping that it makes a positive impact on you or your business, or hopefully both, as well as others. Fortunately, I've received many emails, texts, and messages verifying that it indeed has helped, and what an incredible feeling that's been. In fact, if there is no Christmas tree in my living room, no presence under the tree, no one to share it with, just knowing that someone listening was impacted, helped, or motivated by the messages I've shared, that would be gift enough for me. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. So I'd just like to wish all of you a joyful, peaceful, and low stress, Merry Christmas, and a very happy, prosperous new year. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support, and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at www.ricksilover.com, where you can find all my social media links, podcast episodes, blog posts, and much more.