Coffee House Writers

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login

logo

Coffee House Writers

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Creativity
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fiction
    • Food
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Memories
    • Nonfiction
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Relationships
    • Sports
    • Style
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
    • Poetry Editors
    • Advertising Team
    • Recruiting Team
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login
  • A Piece Of Deadwood

  • The Island Flamingo: Chapter 17

  • Perils of Gaming

  • Paradise Falls: Chapter 8

  • Autumn Whispers

  • The Red Maiden, Part Twenty

  • The Witching Hour

  • Getting Away with Murder

  • The Inhabitants

  • All the Books

  • The Vampire of Longbourn

  • Cause of Death

  • An Ode to Swedish Metal

  • Éowyn, Queen of Earth

  • Reading Values

  • Autumn, Halloween’s Escort

  • The Thing About Football

  • Score Success for Two

  • The Island Flamingo: Chapter 16

  • Droplets Of Joy

  • The Red Maiden, Part Nineteen

  • Paradise Falls: Chapter 7

  • The Calm After the Storm

  • From Across the Void

  • Take Me Out to Bananaland

  • Pangea’s Dilemma: The Looking-Glass

  • Womanly Advice

  • A Gap in Time – 5

  • Jane’s Chance Encounter

  • One Fine Spring Day

CultureNonfictionCreativityFamilyMemoriesHomeEnvironmentHealth
Home›Culture›Escaping The Holiday Red Zone

Escaping The Holiday Red Zone

By Lisa Post
December 13, 2021
668
0
Share:
decorating cookies
Photo courtesy of Helena Jankovičová Kováčová from Pixabay

Just a few hours before a writing deadline, and here I am, staring at a blank page like a kitten asked to do math.

What’s the problem?

The problem is that this time of year is crazy busy and my brain is working on 862,000 different items, causing the worst case of brain fog I’ve ever had. There’s work, school, the Christmas program quickly approaching, and the usual holiday “To-Do List”. As each day of December ticks by, I become more and more stressed. The cards aren’t sent out yet. I haven’t wrapped one present yet. The pile of unfinished and unstarted projects mounts up, causing my anxiety index to hover in the red zone.

Brain fog. Isn’t it wonderful? Instead of having more clarity and efficiency, I can tell my usual strategies are failing. I began thinking about what I needed to do in order to turn chaotic thoughts into strategic planning. Here’s what I did. Maybe some of these tips will help you as well.

1. Clean

Okay, I realize this may be adding to the initial stress level, but hear me out. I find if my work area is untidy, so are my thoughts. For some reason, clutter and chaos affect my productivity. If you are in that same boat, take time to do some organizing and cleaning. Dust of those flat surfaces. Clearing cobwebs from the corners may clear your mind as well. I’m not talking about deep cleaning the entire house in one shot. I’m talking about wherever you need to sit and focus, making sure the area is cozy, comfy, and clean.

2. Prioritize

This is a very old strategy, but it still works. But what happens when everything has to be done now? Take a deep breath and examine each task. Does it really need to be done right now? Are you giving the task a higher priority than it needs? For example, I have cards to do and presents to wrap. Now. However, as I examined those two items, I knew I was giving a higher priority to the gift wrapping. Sure, they would look wonderful under the tree, but in reality, I have a little time before I have to panic over that. Right now, the cards need to get done.

3. Lower Your Expectations

I know, that sounds bad. But many times, we expect too much not just out of ourselves, but each other. You can’t be everywhere, and you can’t do everything. That Christmas party one night might be too much for your schedule that week. Let it go. Don’t have time to bake and decorate cookies? That’s fine. Buy them at a local bakery and support a small business. Maybe putting up every piece of Christmas décor you have in your arsenal is an overwhelming thought. Don’t do it. Put up whatever you feel is right for your energy level and available time limits. The rest of the decorations will keep until next year.

4. Take a Rest

Take a nap. Read a book. Zone out in front of your favorite movie. Work on a hobby. Typically, spending time partaking in an activity that fuels your passion will refresh you mentally and emotionally. Sometimes that is all we need. Other times we need physical rest. That is also a great way to recharge. I’m not saying drop of out sight until all the hoopla is over. But take an afternoon, or even a day, to recharge your batteries.

5. Delegate

Oh, yes. The “D” word. No, you don’t have to do everything. You don’t have a cape, catsuit, and high-heeled thigh boots. It is a good thing to let others help in the preparations. Even if all you need is someone to make dinner so you can finish up a soon-to-be-submitted article. By letting others in the family help prepare, they learn to appreciate the work it takes to make the season merry and bright. Also, in the case of children, teenagers, and young people still living at home, it will help them to learn how to make their own homes festive when the time comes.

Don’t let stress and anxiety wipe out the wonderful season we are in. This is a season of hope and peace. Let’s not lose our own sense of joy. If done correctly, all the tasks on the To-Do list can contribute to our own sense of peace rather than detract from it. And for Pete’s sake, confine that Elf on the Shelf to the garage. No one needs that much pressure.


Image by Helena Jankovičová Kováčová from Pixabay 

TagsStresscoping strategiesplanningholiday seasonHolidayschristmas cheerchristmas traditionsChristmas Spiritstress coping skills
Previous Article

Pill Dog: Part 3

Next Article

Afloat

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Lisa Post

I am a wife, mother of 7, student, and writer. I love to write fiction, poetry, and humorous non-fiction. In my spare time, I love to quilt, read, and drink lots of coffee and oolong tea.

Related articles More from author

  • EnvironmentCreativityFamilyFictionCultureStyle

    Things That Go Bump In The Night

    April 3, 2018
    By VL Jones
  • A poem about the remains of the holidays
    CreativityFamilyRelationshipsFictionPoetryEntertainment

    Spirits of Christmas Past

    January 6, 2020
    By Patricia Harris
  • CreativityFamilyPoetryMemoriesCultureEntertainment

    Holidays Without Them

    December 23, 2019
    By Calpernia Charles
  • HealthCultureCreativityNonfiction

    What About Disability Rights?

    July 20, 2020
    By Keely Messino
  • Mom and her kids
    FamilyEnvironmentHomeHealthEntertainmentCultureLifestyle

    5 Tips for Juggling Small Children When Leaving Home

    June 6, 2022
    By Nicole Brady
  • pansies in pots
    HomeDesignLifestyleEnvironmentHealth

    Reasons to Garden

    June 8, 2020
    By Alena Orrison

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may be interested

  • CultureMediaCreativityFamily

    5 Things I Learned Contributing To An Anthology

  • TravelCreativityRelationshipsFictionEntertainment

    Best Witches Issue 11

  • CultureStyleLifestyleCreativityRelationshipsPoetryMemoriesEntertainment

    Traumatic Truth

Timeline

  • September 18, 2023

    A Piece Of Deadwood

  • September 18, 2023

    The Island Flamingo: Chapter 17

  • September 18, 2023

    Perils of Gaming

  • September 18, 2023

    Paradise Falls: Chapter 8

  • September 18, 2023

    Autumn Whispers

Latest Comments

  • Cast In Marble (is up at Coffee House Writers Magazine) – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    September 8, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, as you may know, I now write for “Coffee House ...

    Cast In Marble

  • In This Limbo, (at Coffee House Writers) – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    September 8, 2023
    […] https://coffeehousewriters.com/in-this-limbo/ […]

    In This Limbo

  • A Day At The Race, (is up at Coffee House Writers Magazine) – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    September 8, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, as you may know, I now write for “Coffee House ...

    A Day At The Races

  • A Welcoming Roar, is up at Coffee House Writers Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    September 6, 2023
    […] Hello dear readers and followers, I now write for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a ...

    A Welcoming Roar

  • Birds on Fences, is in This Weeks Coffee House Writers Magazine – Ivor.Plumber/Poet
    on
    September 6, 2023
    […] Magazine. … please click on the link below to view my poem, at Coffee House Writers. ...

    Birds on Fences

Find us on Facebook

About us

  • coffeehousewriters3@gmail.com

Follow us

© Copyright 2018-2023 Coffee House Writers. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s administrator and owner is strictly prohibited.