Christmastime! A time of celebration… and for many a time of stress. Whether it’s stress in the office as you try to meet end of year deadlines, or stress at home as you try prepare for family get-togethers, holiday travel and of course buying all the gifts you have to get for everyone on your list. Or maybe even a combination of work stress and personal stress. Interestingly enough, stress at home can affect how stressed you feel at work. Here are a few simple suggestions that can make all the difference in not only managing stress levels this season, but also enjoying the season. Reduce screen time. We are all connected to devices constantly in one way or another. Even in recreation we often find ourselves in front of a screen scrolling through Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, the news, etc. This holiday season, reduce the time you spend on these platforms. Though they may seem to provide nothing more than a momentary distraction, they can actually increase your stress levels by creating unrealistic expectations in your subconscious about how things should be and what all you should be doing, could be doing, etc. They can even color how you perceive the way things currently are, making your perception inaccurate at best. Instead, choose to connect with those around you and choose to enjoy every part of this season- even if it’s not all picture perfect and things don’t exactly go as planned. Set realistic expectations. This actually goes right along …
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