Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

[rbh]

I HATE shopping, but I do my best to be polite even in the dang lineups.
But I do find that people get a little B**CHY around this time of the year whether it be shopping, family related, lack of sunshine, you name it.

So are you stressing out???

(and if you are what do you do to put yourself in a more festive mood?)

 

[Bondo]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

So are you stressing out???

YES,.....

I'm about to head into town in a few minutes,...
to Start my Christmas Shooping....

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

I am not responsible for a whole lot around christmas so the potential for stress probably isn't as great for me as it is for some but stress is very important to get a handle on and prevent if you can.

I discovered that if I do a lot of my christmas shopping online and avoid the traffic and lines it eliminates stress. Also, try to do your shopping on a weekday at least a week before xmas and it will eliminate some stress.

Set a budget for presents and christmas spending. Since money is always a contributor to stress if you know what your limit is, and you don't exceed it, you've avoided unnecesarry stress.

If you have to entertain over the holidays, make sure all of your shopping for food and decorations is done and you are well prepared the night before the big event. You will get a good night sleep without worrying and eliminate unneeded stress.

Try to keep the mood festive and positive. I always start by doing a toast and explaining how it is important to me that everyone leave there bottled issues and differences out of the gathering and enjoy the day we have together. Try to steer away from sensitive subjects and if unpleasent conversations come up, try to derail them with positive vibes.

This year I am going to attend church with my mother which I haven't done in over 6 years. For me this is something that will really top the holidays off...listening to christmas music helps too! Check out Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack Christmas.

Christmas Cheers and Happy Holidays to all of my fellow iBoaters and there families!

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

This is a great question, and I think it will draw a number of interesting posts. I will dive in early and watch the carnage unfold. No, I don't stress over it, and will not allow myself too. But then, I don't subscribe to the idea that Christmas is about spending a month's salary on selfish and ungrateful people either. I guess I am old-fashioned in that way. Now, what does grind my gears is when the twenty or so gas stations in my locale all raise their prices .35 cents a gallon simultaneously except for one; and the police must intervene to control traffic and prevent fighting amongst the crazy people all lined up on the shoulder of the highway trying to get a parking spot at the station so they can wait for 15-30 minutes to get gas. Watched it happen again two days ago. Ridiculous. And NO, I'm not a Scrooge; I simply believe there are better ways to show your friends and family that you love them, than allowing yourself to become hysterical over the commercialism that has sadly become an American way of life. I wish a sincere Merry Christmas to you iboaters!

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

YES!! This has been a crazy last couple of weeks.

Along with Christmas i have bills popping up left and right.
The new job i landed a few weeks ago was BS and very low pay.

One vehicle died,waiting on a tow truck to get it home.
My Tahoe has fuel injectors bad so that is 2 vehicles needing work.
All of my property taxes are due......

BUT...at least i'm still here kicking!

 

[mxfever]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Absolutely! Although a majority of mine isn?t due to the holidays. My loving wife has taken care of all of the Christmas shopping.

My stress is mostly due to my employer announcing last week that insurance is going up again starting January first. Not only are the weekly deductions going up but the deductibles as well. We are on our third year of a ?wage increase freeze? so this is the third year in a row I?ve made less money. Now they tell us that we are going on bi-weekly pay checks. Also to save money (never mind the over 1 million year end bonus shared by the VP, CEO, COO and CFO all of which make 6 figures a year anyway).

The traveling will probably raise my blood pressure this weekend. Most of our family lives over an hour away and we have to visit multiple houses over a 2 day period. My 19 month old twins have no part of sitting in a car seat for more than half an hour.

This should be fun?????..

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Not until a little while ago ... did a little online shopping for the Mrs ... necklace I ordered came yesterday - wrong one! I emailed Customer Service and told them VERY POLITELY that I was not happy and that the necklace that came was not the one that was ordered, and Mrs doesn't have anything to go with the one that was sent (besides, it was a cheaper necklace). Told them I was not happy about paying postage and time to return their mistake. Asked what they were going to do to make my Christmas a pleasant and happy one.

Here is there response:

I am so sorry that we sent you the wrong necklace. We would not be able to resend the Endless Pearl & Agate Necklace to you and have it arrive before Christmas. I am sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause you. If you do not have any time to give your wife any other gift, please see if she likes it by wrapping it up to give to her. If she does not like it please let us know, and we can give you a Prepaid UPS return label. If you have any other questions, comments or concerns, please let us know by phone or email.

Sincerely,

Something about the condescending tone of the email just got under my skin. Gotta think about this one and cool off a little before I respond. (maybe I am more stressed than I think ...)

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

^ Classic "Bait and Switch" right there!

 

[avenger79]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

I tend to not take life seriously enough to cause much stress. my coworkers complaints about me are generally that I am happy too often and smile too much.

I took a day off last Fri and got all my shopping done then went out to eat and enjoyed the evening.

I do enjoy people watching at the malls this time of year though.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Not until a little while ago ... did a little online shopping for the Mrs ... necklace I ordered came yesterday - wrong one! I emailed Customer Service and told them VERY POLITELY that I was not happy and that the necklace that came was not the one that was ordered, and Mrs doesn't have anything to go with the one that was sent (besides, it was a cheaper necklace). Told them I was not happy about paying postage and time to return their mistake. Asked what they were going to do to make my Christmas a pleasant and happy one.

Here is there response:



Something about the condescending tone of the email just got under my skin. Gotta think about this one and cool off a little before I respond. (maybe I am more stressed than I think ...)

simple answer and yes I've been through a very similar sit. I told the better half what happened and we delayed our Christmas for each other until her gift arrived.

call them on it and make them pay postage overnite

 

[pecheux]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Stress may be a bigger word than necessary ... but nevertheless I find that people get nervous, stressed, rushed, and worried, ... starting one week prior to Christmas. It is now too much of a business deal and not enough people oriented. I do miss the days in the country when walking to church for midnight services under a light snowfall and handing out simple gifts from the heart was the way to celebrate Christmass. All this got lost somehow along the way to a more modern lifestyle. I also find that nowadays a lot of people dont like the Christmass hollidays.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Stress, sure. Usually with the family holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas. Has to do with inlaw beliefs that my nieces are being drug into. Been going on for years, but it's not getting any easier for us. I guess the worst part is my brother is letting it happen even tho he doesn't agree with it. 'Nuff said about that.......

As for shopping, I find having a list and sticking to it makes all the difference in the world. You're not roaming the stores thinking,"I wonder if they'd like that". You get in, find whats on the list and out the door to the next store.

Usually, it seems that most people are in a good mood when shopping. At least the ones I've observed. One woman did get a little frustrated while a clerk was making a basket full of goodies from Bath and Body Works for my daughter. Shampoos, hand creams, lotions etc. I could hear the woman behind me give a few heavy sighs. It was all good.........

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

i hate shopping, but i do my best to be polite even in the dang lineups.
But i do find that people get a little b**chy around this time of the year whether it be shopping, family related, lack of sunshine, you name it.

So are you stressing out???

(and if you are what do you do to put yourself in a more festive mood?)

Adult Egg Nog.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

The best way to avoid stress when your out Christmas shopping is stop trying to find the perfect gift. The other thing don't try to visit every one, let them come to you. If there true friends wont mind at all. It also helps I live in a small town and parking is a breeze. The longest line up I run into is about 3 people deep.

 

[mxfever]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

The other thing don't try to visit every one, let them come to you.

I couldn't agree more but I can't get my wife to see eye to eye.

 

[sasto]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Stress?.......Nah!

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

Its kind of hard to get stressed out at the Ebay or Amazon checkout.

As for family stress there isn't any.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

What's there to be stressed about?
The lines at Amazon .com where non-existent, my in-laws are 1500 miles away this time of the year and we see my parents on New Year?s day every year. The kids are older so they usually get up, open up their one big gift, then go back to bed till noon.

The only thing I stress over is what to drink over the holiday. Jack Daniels or Maker's Mark. Jack won this year. They had 1 litre bottles on sale.

 

[i386]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

So far, no. Got off work early yesterday and took a nap. Then I goofed off playing my guitar for a couple hours waiting on Mrs. to come home from shopping. We ate a nice meal then I lit a fire. We spent a quiet evening with the dogs and cat all curled up in front of the fireplace enjoying a bottle of red wine.

The stress starts today and ends on the 25th.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Do you suffer from holiday stress?????

The weather has finally let up here, think I'll go do some no pressure shopping