Post by FlameMaster5 on Nov 17, 2006 12:18:26 GMT -5
Hey everyone. ^_^ My mom wrote up a speech for her toastmasters group(group that helps prepare people for speeches) and I thought i'd share it with you all! ^_^
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Fellow toastmasters and welcome guests as you know next week is Thanksgiving and the official kick off of the holiday season. Just reminding you of that, I imagine some of you felt your heart skip a beat in dread of all you have to do to get ready. We’ve all been programmed at some point to picture the perfect holiday in our minds—the white Christmas, the beautifully decorated home, the perfectly wrapped gifts in red foil with the silver and gold ribbons and bows nestled under the gargantuan Christmas tree, the smell of turkey, and the smiling faces of family members gathered around the holiday table in perfect harmony. Although this Currier and Ives image sells Hallmark cards, it can cause a lot of stress for those of us with less than ideal circumstances. As the holidays approach many of us realize how quickly the year has gone by and how few of this years resolutions we were able to keep and soon it will be time for more.
Today I’m going to try to help you identify and overcome some of the common stressors that we often bring on ourselves by trying to meet the image we have in our minds or feel others expect of us. The three main trigger points of holiday stress and depression fall under the categories of relationships, finances and physical demands. Another major source of stress is the retail industry. By August or September the stores are already putting up Christmas trees and gift wrapping supplies which makes us feel like we are already behind when we haven’t even recovered from back to school shopping.
For most of us the holidays will center around family and family activities. The holidays may involve us having to travel to be with family or preparing our homes for arriving guests. Sadly for some it may be facing the holidays without a loved one because of death or being unable to be together for one reason or another. While being with family can be joyous it can have its own set of stressors such as unresolved conflicts among some members, trying to accommodate everyone’s lodging or food preferences. It may mean sharing beds, lines to the bathroom or a cold shower for someone.
Finances can also be a source of stress for some of us. We may already be struggling to make ends meet and now the holidays mean extra expenses. There may be some members of the family who are better able to afford expensive gifts than we, are causing us to feel conflicted that we aren’t able to reciprocate without using our credit cards that are already a source of family tension each month when they arrive in the mailbox. Finding the perfect gift on a fixed income can be next to impossible. Although the holidays mean school is out for students it doesn’t mean the adults get time off from work to prepare for the holiday festivities. When you are already tired the last thing you want to do is clean house, decorate, shop and bake. It can be exhausting, especially when your schedule may already be maxed out with the demands of work, caring for children or elderly parents. It can make the holidays a drudgery rather than a joy for you.
So how can we prevent or overcome some of these holiday stressors? The first thing is to be realistic. Decide ahead of time—preferably this week before Thanksgiving what is most important to you about the holidays. What will make it special for you? Perhaps you need some quiet time to reflect. Schedule that time for you to think about the past year and what you are thankful for. Think about what will be meaningful to you after the packages have been torn asunder and the dishes are piled up in the kitchen as the family sits around with full bellies.
If you are feeling blue, one of the best things you can do is to seek out someone else who may also be in need of some company during the holidays. Often times focusing on someone else’s needs helps us get a better focus on things. Don’t try to fix all the problems you may have in family relationships and certainly now is not the time to bring them up. Try to be patient and remember others have their stressors they are coping with too. Try to keep things as low key as possible. Evaluate your time and energy. Keep things simple and have fun. Get organized. Plan ahead. You don’t have to do all of the holiday cooking the last day or two ahead of the meal. Cook ahead and put things in the freezer. This will save you time and energy.
Mix up your traditions. You may not be able to hand write out all those cards this year. People also enjoy phone calls or e-mails with pictures.
If finances are a problem, perhaps you can give your gift of time---maybe you can sit with someone’s family member freeing them up time to cook or shop. Make a budget and stick with it. If you think you will be tempted to overspend, leave the credit cards at home and shop with cash only. Make a list of what gifts you plan to buy and the amount you plan to spend for each person. Don’t think you have to keep up with the Jones’. You are the one who will be having to meet your bills.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are hosting the holiday meal at your house and it is too much for you to do all the cooking and cleaning enlist others to either come over earlier and help you clean or host a potluck dinner party. Your guests will feel important if they are contributing to the meal or planning. You can even enlist the children in helping decorate the tree once the lights are strung. Another idea of including the family is to buy the ready to bake sugar cookies, then let the kids decorate them with frosting, sprinkles and pieces of candy cane. These things will allow you to spend time with your loved ones rather than feeling frazzled and overwhelmed.
Remember to take care of yourself during the holidays—get plenty of rest, don’t give yourself a license to throw out all restraint on eating just because it is the holidays or else come January you will be guilt ridden and feel depressed because you have not only met last years resolution to lose weight you are now heavier than before. Stress can weaken your immune system. It is not only the holiday season it is also the flu season—so make sure you take care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally.
I hope that all of you will have a joyous holiday season and try to keep things in perspective. Decide today that you will take the this weekend to plan how to have a relaxed holiday for you and your loved ones. It will be a tradition worth starting.
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HOLIDAY STRESS
Fellow toastmasters and welcome guests as you know next week is Thanksgiving and the official kick off of the holiday season. Just reminding you of that, I imagine some of you felt your heart skip a beat in dread of all you have to do to get ready. We’ve all been programmed at some point to picture the perfect holiday in our minds—the white Christmas, the beautifully decorated home, the perfectly wrapped gifts in red foil with the silver and gold ribbons and bows nestled under the gargantuan Christmas tree, the smell of turkey, and the smiling faces of family members gathered around the holiday table in perfect harmony. Although this Currier and Ives image sells Hallmark cards, it can cause a lot of stress for those of us with less than ideal circumstances. As the holidays approach many of us realize how quickly the year has gone by and how few of this years resolutions we were able to keep and soon it will be time for more.
Today I’m going to try to help you identify and overcome some of the common stressors that we often bring on ourselves by trying to meet the image we have in our minds or feel others expect of us. The three main trigger points of holiday stress and depression fall under the categories of relationships, finances and physical demands. Another major source of stress is the retail industry. By August or September the stores are already putting up Christmas trees and gift wrapping supplies which makes us feel like we are already behind when we haven’t even recovered from back to school shopping.
For most of us the holidays will center around family and family activities. The holidays may involve us having to travel to be with family or preparing our homes for arriving guests. Sadly for some it may be facing the holidays without a loved one because of death or being unable to be together for one reason or another. While being with family can be joyous it can have its own set of stressors such as unresolved conflicts among some members, trying to accommodate everyone’s lodging or food preferences. It may mean sharing beds, lines to the bathroom or a cold shower for someone.
Finances can also be a source of stress for some of us. We may already be struggling to make ends meet and now the holidays mean extra expenses. There may be some members of the family who are better able to afford expensive gifts than we, are causing us to feel conflicted that we aren’t able to reciprocate without using our credit cards that are already a source of family tension each month when they arrive in the mailbox. Finding the perfect gift on a fixed income can be next to impossible. Although the holidays mean school is out for students it doesn’t mean the adults get time off from work to prepare for the holiday festivities. When you are already tired the last thing you want to do is clean house, decorate, shop and bake. It can be exhausting, especially when your schedule may already be maxed out with the demands of work, caring for children or elderly parents. It can make the holidays a drudgery rather than a joy for you.
So how can we prevent or overcome some of these holiday stressors? The first thing is to be realistic. Decide ahead of time—preferably this week before Thanksgiving what is most important to you about the holidays. What will make it special for you? Perhaps you need some quiet time to reflect. Schedule that time for you to think about the past year and what you are thankful for. Think about what will be meaningful to you after the packages have been torn asunder and the dishes are piled up in the kitchen as the family sits around with full bellies.
If you are feeling blue, one of the best things you can do is to seek out someone else who may also be in need of some company during the holidays. Often times focusing on someone else’s needs helps us get a better focus on things. Don’t try to fix all the problems you may have in family relationships and certainly now is not the time to bring them up. Try to be patient and remember others have their stressors they are coping with too. Try to keep things as low key as possible. Evaluate your time and energy. Keep things simple and have fun. Get organized. Plan ahead. You don’t have to do all of the holiday cooking the last day or two ahead of the meal. Cook ahead and put things in the freezer. This will save you time and energy.
Mix up your traditions. You may not be able to hand write out all those cards this year. People also enjoy phone calls or e-mails with pictures.
If finances are a problem, perhaps you can give your gift of time---maybe you can sit with someone’s family member freeing them up time to cook or shop. Make a budget and stick with it. If you think you will be tempted to overspend, leave the credit cards at home and shop with cash only. Make a list of what gifts you plan to buy and the amount you plan to spend for each person. Don’t think you have to keep up with the Jones’. You are the one who will be having to meet your bills.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are hosting the holiday meal at your house and it is too much for you to do all the cooking and cleaning enlist others to either come over earlier and help you clean or host a potluck dinner party. Your guests will feel important if they are contributing to the meal or planning. You can even enlist the children in helping decorate the tree once the lights are strung. Another idea of including the family is to buy the ready to bake sugar cookies, then let the kids decorate them with frosting, sprinkles and pieces of candy cane. These things will allow you to spend time with your loved ones rather than feeling frazzled and overwhelmed.
Remember to take care of yourself during the holidays—get plenty of rest, don’t give yourself a license to throw out all restraint on eating just because it is the holidays or else come January you will be guilt ridden and feel depressed because you have not only met last years resolution to lose weight you are now heavier than before. Stress can weaken your immune system. It is not only the holiday season it is also the flu season—so make sure you take care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally.
I hope that all of you will have a joyous holiday season and try to keep things in perspective. Decide today that you will take the this weekend to plan how to have a relaxed holiday for you and your loved ones. It will be a tradition worth starting.
