Thanksgiving is almost here, and Christmas is too close. As usual, holidays can create stress for all of us, and sometimes we can make miserable memories. Stress just comes with the holidays. However, for those who suffer with adrenal fatigue, stress can cause havoc for you and your family. I have found one solution, and that is this thought, “I don’t have to be my grandmother and immediately cook the turkey carcass or the ham bone for soup.” I can save the leftovers, but I will not immediately start boiling bones.
By the time our holiday meal is prepared, served and all is cleared and cleaned – I know I will be too tired to prepare soup. I do plan to have larger storage bags so I can freeze the leftovers and make soup later. And, if I didn’t have room to freeze the turkey carcass or a ham bone, I would be just fine with putting it in the trash. I have learned to be realistic, and my becoming overly exhausted and stressed certainly isn’t worth soup.
I think of holiday plans to be a lot like soup. You can have a recipe – your calendar – to follow, and it can be chock full of ingredients – your plans – but not all has to be dealt with immediately. Some parts can be prepared early such as Christmas/holiday cards. Don’t send them at all, if you are too rushed. Make telephone calls instead. Some parts can be prepared later , for example plan some family gatherings for before or after a holiday; you may be surprised to find others are relieved too.
Some things don’t have to be prepared at all. I don’t have to make sugar cookies from scratch; I can buy the prepared rolls of sugar cookies. My kids have just as much fun, because all they want to do is cut out cookies and decorate them anyway. Inevitably, the holidays will happen, and whether we are able to enjoy them is up to us.
Eliminate things that don’t have to be done. For example, I can fix-up Stove Top Stuffing to where even the best cooks in my family don’t know for certain that it is not from scratch. I hide the box!
I have learned to enjoy what some would call imperfections as simply being “one-of-a-kind”. I have learned to make wonderful memories not misery, and for those who are wondering, this is the time I will compromise and gratefully use some prepackaged products. Have a stress-free and wonderful Thanksgiving, and I would love to hear about your destressing holiday ideas.
