3 Ways to Deal with Holiday Stress
I don’t know about you, but I am FREAKING out! My kids are sick, I am not done with my shopping, and I am behind on my work and functioning on close to NO sleep. So, I thought to myself, I wonder if my three readers are feeling the same way? And THEN I thought to myself, if they are, how can I help them? So here goes. Remember the basics...STOP, LOOK and LISTEN.
STOP—Whatever you are doing, STOP. Put the phone down, step away from the computer, loosen your grasp on that child/spouse/customer’s neck. Just stop. Take a break. Walk away. Take a deep breath. Smile. And ask yourself this question: How will I feel about this problem/issue/annoying creature tomorrow? How about next week? Next month? The truth is, while we are feeling crazy in the moment, most things will pass, and we will survive. So just stop.
LOOK—Go to your window. Resist the urge to jump out of it, metaphorically speaking, of course. What do you see? I am hoping that you can see some kind of nature—a beautiful tree, or a bird, or a quick brown fox jumping over that lazy dog. Just a brick wall, you say? Well, that’s all Pink Floyd saw, and look where that got him! Wait, Pink Floyd is not a person, you say? Well, look out that window again. Look closely at that wall. See any inspirational graffiti? OK...we’re striking out here. Try another window and repeat the process until you see something beautiful, calming and restorative, darn it!
LISTEN—My favorite songs always make me feel better. Forget that one of my favorite songs is “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” by the Smiths. Music is a great way to take our minds off our troubles. Or, if you prefer, your favorite radio program. Stay away from heavy topics like politics, though...that never helped anything. If music is not your thing, think of a person who always makes you feel better. Mom? Gramma? Your BFF? The lady at the Chinese takeout place? Grab that phone and see if you can’t get a little comfort from a friendly voice.
I’m going to take my own advice now, run a bath, light a candle, and play some Van Morrison. That will make EVERYTHING better. At least for now.
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.
