Stress-Free Thanksgiving: Ways to Stress Less This Holiday

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Thanksgiving can be stressful, especially if you’re hosting. Not only do you have to make sure you have enough food for everyone, but you also have Thanksgiving decorations and a table centerpiece that have to look perfect! Oh, and then there is the turkey! Did I get big enough size, did I overcook it, did I undercook it… It is almost enough to make ME want to just have it catered!

Stress Less This Thanksgiving

Short of calamity, things are usually not as bad as you make them out to be. Sure, the exact moment might be a pain in the rear end, but ask yourself whether, 30 minutes or 30 days from now, what you’re dealing with will matter. Will anyone even remember my lousy stuffing or burnt rolls?

Perspective helps you react accordingly and in a way that likely won’t add to your stress. Now that you have grounded yourself, take a deep breath and hold it for 4 seconds. That’s right, 4 seconds! Forced slowing of your breathing slows everything else down and acts as a firewall to prevent your body and sometimes your mouth from outrunning your brain. That rude reply, the raised blood pressure, that bad reaction can all be swept away with a deep breath! If you are having trouble making dinner, call in the cavalry… grandpa, a friend, Butterball, or the USDA! Yep, they have a webpage called “Let’s Talk Turkey — A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey”; it even includes a hotline to call!

Take a few moments to see the bright side of your situation! This falls under the “count your blessings” advice mom or dad likely shared with you. Take stock of everything you have going for you. This holiday is called “Thanksgiving,” by the way! Your reaction to any stressful situation or event should center on what you can control. It’s not always easy to let go, but once you master this skill, your stress level will improve and keep improving! You can only control your actions and thoughts.

Pay less attention to what’s happening around you and more to what matters, if you can (this isn’t an easy task for us control freaks, but family is family!). So, what if the family doesn’t like the meal that you served them? Who cares!!!! They chose not to do it! If they wanted perfection, they would have called the Food Network chefs or even better… had the dinner at their house! Family is there to be with family, not to judge.

Finally, learn to laugh at yourself. It doesn’t have to be out loud. There’s no rule that life has to be serious 24/7. Getting through your day is tough enough. Laugh. And remember, it’s the only dinner!