Simplify & Say No This Holiday Season

by Kim Fryar, MS, MEd, CCLS, NCC, Program Director

We all know that this time of year can be overwhelming – without trying to also cope with an illness in your family.

It is okay – and even encouraged – to say NO to invitations, to decide for your family what traditions you participate in, to decorate (or not decorate) at the level that is right for you, to send (or not send) holiday greetings, and to bake (or not bake) holiday goodies!

It is also okay to skip or change family traditions for a year or more.  If you don’t have the energy, the time or the finances to do something – it is okay to give yourself and your family permission NOT to do it.

And it is absolutely okay to ask for help to accomplish the things that are a priority.

What your children will carry with them into the future is the feeling they have during this time of year.  When you are able to lower your own personal stress, your children benefit from a greater sense of calm and a stronger feeling of love within the family.

Do yourself a favor. Simplify or say no.