Stress is caused by our perception of events rather than the events themselves. It is not what happens to us, but rather what we do with what happens to us that shapes our lives.

It is the summer (belied by the quantity of rain, but it is the summer!) and so many of us are off on holiday, or are spending time at home as a family. We want our holidays to be perfect. After all, our childhood memories are of just that - perfect holidays.

We have distorted our memories so they fit that ideal. So now we expect our holidays to be perfect, warm and loving. And often the reality falls short.

We battle crowds, impose expectations on ourselves and others, over indulge and behave in excess.

No wonder that 41% of the population report feeling stress over the holiday period.

Stress is not only caused by unpleasant events such as delays or rows. It can also be felt about planning and organising, making arrangements for house/pet sitting, entertaining the children, flying fears or finishing the huge mountain of work before you get away. It can even be felt over having nothing to do for two weeks except relax! Yes, some of us even worry over taking time out to do nothing! All this equals stress!

Below are some Top Holiday Tips which will help you to reduce stress and enjoy your holiday - whether you are going away or spending time at home.

Before You Go

set a budget and stick to it, so avoiding post holiday credit card blues.

set realistic goals about the things you wish to do on holiday and make plans and itineraries.

make a list of all the necessary arrangements insurance, travel details and necessary documentation ahead of schedule. Avoid rushing around at the last moment. You know it’s coming so do it sooner rather than later!

set realistic expectations of how the holiday will be ie; how the family will interact etc.

Delegate

whatever tasks you have listed as needing doing before you go on holiday enlist some help from the family.

Communicate

your desires and fears for the holiday to your family and hear theirs. Come up with some contingency plans of things to do if the weather is not a s good as hoped or if you feel unwell, or have a row.

"The most important thing in communication
is to hear what isn't being said."
Peter Drucker (1907 - )
Austrian-American economist and author

Get In Shape

you know you will put on a few ‘holiday’ pounds so how about shifting a few now. Easier than when you are back home after the holiday…….

On Holiday

Communicate

you are NOT responsible for other people’s happiness. If you shared your expectations before you went on holiday with each other then this will be easier to do.

If you do have disagreements on holidays, whether with spouse or children or your friends then consider – is it really a holiday breaker? Take time out and think it through. See things from the other person’s point of view. Accept their differences and restore the status quo. This will be worth it in the end!

"Always do right.
That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
American writer

Indulgence

avoid over eating and drinking. Try and limit the amount you do consume. A great holiday does not have to be measured by the amount you intake or the size of your hangover! However much fun it is at the time – you will regret it in the morning. You will be irritable and not much fun to be around, plus you will also feel worse for wear and maybe even lose a day of your holiday.

Relax

on holiday we can find ourselves on fast forward when we should be on pause! Do the most important things but avoid a hectic schedule! Save something for next year. How many times do you hear people say when they return from their holiday – ‘I need a holiday to get over it!’?

Get Some Time Alone

balance time being active together with some time being alone. This way you can really recharge those batteries and be firing on all cylinders when you need to be. Especially if you have young children around!

Dealing with family and friends -

accept that not everyone is a clued up on stress as you are. If someone does or says something that you do not like and makes your blood boil then....

1. Stop

2. Think

3. Choose your response which will achieve your desired result in this situation

or laugh! Humour is the shortest distance between two people. Try it, it works.
every day tell people why you love them or enjoy being with them. Praise them for their efforts and achievements. This positivity will come back to you

"Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free - and worth a fortune."
Sam Walton (1918 - 1992)
founder of Wal-Mart

I’m not suggesting this is easy, or even that you will pick it up quickly. However you may be surprised at how easy you find this and begin to apply these principles to make your life simpler

Click here for the newsletter on choosing your responses.

After The Holiday

what went well?
what would you do differently next year?
how could you improve on the holiday for every one?
what should you avoid?

Have a great summer whatever you do
and remember to take time out for you!

You may forward this newsletter to anyone you feel may be interested. Please do so in it’s entirety with full credit.

Shona McFarlane
Master Practitioner of NLP, Executive Coach & Life Coach

To unsubscribe from these Newsletters click here info@goldeneggtraining.com and put Unsubscribe as your heading.

www.goldeneggtraining.com