Los Angeles, CA—A stressful season for many, the holidays often bring worries involving family, finances and keeping up the pace. Running here and there on errands. Traveling to and from visiting relatives.  Too many commitments, too little time.  And yet, the holidays are supposed to be about feeling at home and at peace. As the stressful holiday months approach, best-selling author and mind/body expert Loretta LaRoche offers some useful consumer tips for dealing with holiday anxiety, including booking spacious alternatives to hotel rooms, such as Oakwood Worldwide furnished apartments.

Decide on your travel plans and book early. The first order of business, advises LaRoche, is deciding when, where, and with whom you are going to celebrate the holidays. Will you be traveling to your parents’ house? Or will you be home for the holidays? It’s never too early to start planning. “Deciding well ahead of time on your holiday plans sets others’ expectations and makes sure that there are no misunderstandings among family members.  "Put your efforts into celebrating rather than making matters worse. It will lift your spirits rather than drain your energy,” says LaRoche. There are many advantages to booking travel in advance, such as being able to lock in preferred travel dates and reduced rates for airfare and lodging.

If going out of town to visit family, consider staying in a temporary furnished apartment rather than a hotel. Family-related tensions may contribute to holiday stress, especially when there is too much family in too little space. Instead of crashing on a relative’s couch or staying in a small hotel room, consider staying in a larger furnished apartment. Furnished apartments contain “homey” comforts such as separate bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and working kitchens.  They are often available at comparable or lower prices than individual hotel rooms. Many of these apartments offer reduced rates with reduced minimum-stay requirements throughout fall and winter. Oakwood Worldwide has the largest network of fully furnished apartments in the United States. You can visit www.oakwood.com to check for properties near your holiday destination. 

Set a financial budget – and stick to it. Make a list of gifts and the people you’re buying for, and budget wisely. This will allow you to comparison-shop online, or shop with a realistic expectation of how much money you’ll spend on each gift, says LaRoche. “You may want to explore the gift of shared experiences. Take a significant other, family member or friend to a movie and dinner, museum or play. It builds on memories, the gift that keeps on giving.”  Also, try to anticipate those unexpected holiday expenses that have a pesky tendency to “pop up.”  For example, will your office likely plan a gift exchange? Will your friends go out for a nice annual holiday meal? The more thorough your spending plan, the easier it will be to stick to your budget. Consider budgeting, preventive medicine to combat a stressful financial “holiday hangover.”

 

 

 

In fact, there are several online resources that can help you organize your budget.  Financial worksheets for budgeting for the holiday season in general as well as for gift shopping in particular can be found at betterbudgeting.com. 

Budget your time as well as your money.  With shopping to do, travel arrangements to make, and visitors to attend to, many people’s busy lives are more frantic than ever over the holiday season. To avoid burnout, budget your time. “Schedule your holiday shopping excursions around work and other responsibilities, and avoid waiting until the last minute,” says LaRoche.  “If needed, plan a day off from work to do your shopping—it can be a great way to beat the weekend crowds. Include having fun. Holidays are not supposed to be stress rehearsals.”

Feel free to say “no” to holiday invites. “If your social calendar is already crowded with get-togethers, don’t feel guilty saying ‘no,’ ” says LaRoche. “The holidays are supposed to be a time of fun and togetherness. If you’re too stressed out to relax at a social get-together, then stay home—this will help you re-energize to enjoy the next holiday event.” 

Take care of yourself!.  Many people tend to over-indulge on food and alcohol during the holidays and often skip their normal exercise routine. Make a concerted effort to avoid fattening hors d’oeuvres and caloric cocktails at parties.  “You can taste everything, but just don’t eat the whole thing.  You will not be reported by the ‘food police,’” says LaRoche. “If you prioritize, your workout routine does not have to fall by the wayside.  You’ll be happier without the extra pounds.”

Delegate responsibility to family members. “You’re not solely responsible for making sure that everyone’s holiday season is a memorable experience,” says LaRoche.  “Don’t be a martyr. No one respects a doormat.  Enlist your children as helpers.  Ask them to help you in the kitchen, or put them on gift-wrapping duty,” she says.  Also, if you stay in a fully-equipped furnished apartment, you can share hosting responsibility with family and friends you’re visiting.  Because these kitchens are stocked with cookware, china, and silverware, you can offer to organize a meal at your apartment to take a little pressure off your local host.

“If everyone in your family shares responsibility, everyone should have a relaxing, memorable holiday,” says LaRoche.

Set realistic expectations. “You don’t have to live up to the movie-perfect vision of the holiday season,” says LaRoche. “The house does not have to be spotless, and you don’t have to prepare the perfect feast,” she says. “No one will erect a monument to you because of how perfect you were, but they will remember how much joy you brought them.” She suggests buying pre-made holiday cookies and side dishes to relieve stress. “Expect that there will be ups and downs—just like there are at other times of the year,” says LaRoche.

LaRoche is an international stress management and humor She is on the council for the Massachusetts General Center for Anxiety and Depression.  She was recently awarded the National Humor Treasure Award.  Loretta writes a weekly newspaper column called 'Get a Life.’  She is a contributing writer for Diane Magazine (Rodale Press).  She is also featured as a stress management expert on LLuminari.com, a community wellness website, and Eons.com, a website celebrating life on the flipside of age 50. Loretta has been nominated for local and primetime Emmy Awards and has appeared on CNN, ABC, and NBC affiliates