Managing holiday stress during last minute preparations
It might sound crazy but Maximus Laurie and his family purposely wait till the last minute to finish their holiday shopping.
“It’s like two opposing forces – my mother is going to be looking for everything, she’s gonna be accepting everything and I am gonna be denying everything and it’s a dynamic system that way,” says Laurie.
His mom Yvonne Duran says their system has been tried and true almost every year. “In the past where I shop ahead of time and then I still don’t really feel ready. I’m always like “Is the right gift?? Is it not the right gift??” and then I’m at the last minute shopping anyway thinking “Ahh I don’t think it’s enough!” so now I’ve just completely skipped that first part,” Duran tells us.
And for those who prefer to prepare for the holidays last minute like Duran, Dr. Mark Juretic, Medical Director of Pacific Central Coast Health Centers says the most important thing to do to alleviate stress or nerves that may come along with that is to prioritize.
“If you haven’t done it, you need to prioritize it. I think one of the best things to come along in the last few years is there’s so many things you can do online,” Dr. Juretic explains.
His suggestion is exactly what shopper Morgan Clark did this season; she says she ordered everything online in order to spend the least amount of time in the stores possible.
“If I just thought of something my friends or family would like, I just go on my phone and order it and it shows up at my door two days later so that’s kinda nice and convenient, avoiding the lines,” Clark says.
Dr. Juretic also suggests setting reasonable holiday goals and not striving for absolute perfection. This is something Duran says she completely agrees with as she mentally prepares for whatever is left on the shelves.
“Our expectations are kinda low [because] we don’t have to have everything under the sun for it to be Christmas for us,” she tells us.
Dr. Juretic also recommends sticking to routines of eating healthy and giving yourself 30 minutes to an hour of “Me time” in order to ensure a stress free holiday.
