Holiday Cheer, Holiday Stress: How’s It Working for You?

This time of year often evokes a wide range of feelings – excitement, joy, sadness, longing or all of the above. Especially for moms, any and all of those emotions often come with holiday stress and anxiety – “How can I possibly get everything done?!”   Family researcher Dr. Anna Kudak has spent recent years interviewing women about their holiday experiences and even following some moms into the kitchen or shopping mall. She has a lot to say about why the holidays stress us out. But, she and Marti & Erin also have some good ideas about how to ease up a bit and find your true meaning in whatever holidays you celebrate!   WHAT WOULD GIVE YOUR HOLIDAY MORE MEANING? Think about the last big holiday you celebrated. To what extent did it capture the meaning you wanted it to have? What messages do you think your children received from you about the meaning of the holiday? What would you wish to do differently the next time the holidays roll around to reduce your holiday stress?   WANT MORE TIPS ON MAKING THE MOST OF THE HOLIDAYS? ❉ WOMEN, ALCOHOL AND HOLIDAY STRESS: HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOUNDATION ON HEALTHY CHOICES ABOUT ALCOHOL. It can be easy to slip into an unhealthy pattern of using alcohol to cope with holiday stress. The holidays create extra stress for women, who typically bear the greatest responsibility for holiday preparations. Add to that an emphasis on alcohol at holiday festivities and over-drinking, or a relapse in maintaining already-established sobriety, are risks. Kim Albers, Director of Recovery Management at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, provides very clear information on how to know if your drinking is problematic and where to turn to get help tailored to your specific needs and strengths.   ❉ PUTTING THE SANITY BACK IN HOLIDAY SHOPPING: PRACTICAL MESSAGES ABOUT CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF THE HOLIDAYS. Marketers have had us and our children in their sights for a long time, giving us a million ideas for how to spend our money to make this the best holiday season ever. But what are the childhood memories you cherish and recall from the holidays? Chances are they are less about expensive gifts than about fun and laugher with the people who loved you. Nathan Dungan, founder of Share, Save, Spend, joins Marti & Erin for a timely, helpful and heartfelt discussion about how to reduce stress, increase joy and enhance the significance of this special time of year. You will be glad you tuned in!