The holidays are a special time … until they’re not. They can be quickly ruined when we choose to engage in stress-inducing behaviors. So, this year, let’s each commit to not serving up this joy-killing dish!
Recipe for Holiday Stress: 21 Ingredients to Avoid!
- Argue over with whose family the holidays will be spent.
- Seek perfection in decorations, gift selection—and people.
- Take every comment personally, or be easily offended.
- Value traditions—any tradition—more than people’s feelings/needs.
- Nag the teen son about getting a haircut.
- Draw no boundaries, saying yes to everything and no to nothing.
- Talk about self while asking little about others.
- Use plastic money to spend more than what we have.
- Fail to recognize, compliment, and appreciate the people around us.
- Connect on social media but disconnect from those in the room.
- Allow the kids to be in charge instead of Parenting the QBQ Way.
- Push to win the “Cleanest House on the Block” award.
- Give unsolicited input on what others should be doing for a living.
- Choose arrogance over humility—the magnet that draws people in.
- Demonstrate a rigid “We’ve never done it that way before!” attitude.
- Refuse to own our emotions by blaming others for our mood.
- Tell someone they eat too much; tell someone they eat too little.
- Engage in grudge-holding instead of, “No big deal. Let’s forget it.”
- Criticize the in-laws—or anyone else—but especially those in-laws!
- Get hurt and angry over, um … nothing.
- Tell others they should read the QBQ! book because they need more personal accountability!
Actually, this author does favor #21 a bit. 🙂
In QBQ! we teach this:
Stress is a choice.
Many fight this concept because they believe it’s the people and events around them that stress them out. Not true!
So, if the goal is to reduce stress and find more joy this season, here is a dish worth serving:
Just start asking The Question Behind the Question—or “QBQs” such as:
“How can I contribute?”
“What can I do to honor others?”
“How can I find the good in people?”
“What can I do to show patience?”
“How can I let go of what I can’t control?”
When I choose to ask these powerful, accountable questions the stress will be less, the fun will go further, and the joy will be deeper.
Not a bad way to spend the holidays, eh?
Which of the 21 ingredients above will you strive to avoid this holiday season? Comment below!
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One Response
I think those are great QBQ’s, not just for holiday season but applicable for so many other situations and times in our live. When work isn’t fulfilling, or you feel stuck in a rut…. any time! Those are great questions to get back on track to living a life of service and gratitude. Thanks for the reminder!