1. Whatever holiday you celebrate, maintain a realistic notion about what that holiday should be; don’t get so caught up in the planning that you forget to enjoy the season. Remember, less than perfect is perfectly okay.
2. Shop early for presents, party supplies, and decorations. Buy multiples of gift tags, tape and wrappings; you can always use the leftovers next year. Keep a stash of “one-size-fits-all” gifts like wine and candy on hand in case you need a last-minute present.
3. Avoid crowds by shopping local and supporting your local businesses. If you must go to the mall go at off times (dinner hour, weekdays) and leave the kids at home. Or shop from mail-order catalogs and the Internet or give gift certificates.
4. Choose only two wrapping paper designs, one for adults and one for kids. Or just use gift bags or decorative boxes.
5. Take advantage if a store offers free gift-wrapping or seek out charity gift-wrapping services; you’ll be contributing to a worthy cause.
6. Make a budget and stick to it! Catalog/online shopping can help; you won’t be seduced at the local mall by a million choices staring you in the face.
7. If you really want to guarantee you will stay within your budget, use CASH!
8. Skip holiday cards to anyone you haven’t seen or heard from in over a year, or just send New Year’s cards in January. You can spend more time on personal messages and recipients will have more time to read them.
9. Know when to politely say no to invitations. Decide which gatherings you must attend and which can be skipped without guilt. Only say yes to meaningful events.
10. Decorate only as much as your time and energy allows then be happy with the results!  Only decorate rooms you use most often.
11. Keep a special notebook of holiday recipes you would like to make year after year. This will save a lot of time searching through cookbooks.
12. Do not forget about you!! Set aside special “you time”. Unwind with a friend, get a manicure, go to a matinee, or spend an afternoon alone.
13. Finally, give to the less fortunate as part of your holiday tradition. Volunteer for a homeless shelter, visit a retirement center or participate in a food, toy or clothing drive.  Encourage kids to give away toys they no longer use.

Share this:

by Hope Staton, CMT

Co-Owner of Integrative Health Therapies

No matter who you are, what you do, or even how old you are, stress is something that we all have to deal with. We hear about it on TV, read about it in magazines and experience it on an almost daily basis. So what is stress? How does it affect us? And what can we do about it?

Physiologically, stress is the body’s reaction to external forces to return a sense of balance. The reason we have the capacity for stress is very simple…it’s there to keep us alive. At one time or another we have all had that “adrenaline rush” feeling. That is the start of the stress response pattern.  The Stress Response Pattern consists of three phases: (1) Alarm, (2) Resistance and (3) Exhaustion. You may have heard the Alarm phase termed “fight or flight”.

Throughout human history, the Stress Response pattern has been vital to human survival. The Alarm phase would allow immediate response to a sudden life or death situation. However, in modern society we have a problem. Our stressors today can be brought on by sudden events, but are far more likely to be ongoing situations such as our work, schedules, money, disorder and even our families. While our Alarms tend to be less frequent, we seem to be stuck in the Resistance phase.

The Resistance phase is what keeps you going during a stressful event and past the initial Alarm phase. If we stay stuck in this phase bad things happen. We get grouchy, short tempered and have lapses in memory and judgment. This is because our bodies are paying an even higher price by releasing chemicals to help combat stress and not absorbing the chemicals we need to maintain a healthy body. The Exhaustion phase follows that and probably need’s no explanation.

Scientific study is beginning to show what we have known for a while that our stress response effects more than just the mind. Some people have even gone so far as to claim that stress causes disease. This is not correct. Stress does not cause disease outright. However, chronic stress does exacerbate per-existing conditions, making them worse; and stress lowers the body’s immune system making it harder to fight things off and much more likely that a person will get sick in the first place. So, while stress does not cause disease or illness outright, it does create the perfect conditions for them to happen and thrive in.

One of the greatest difficulties in finding a specific answer to stress relief is that our perspective influences the magnitude of the stress response. In other words, because people see the world differently and respond to situations differently, what triggers a stress response in them will be different as well. When one person is faced with a room full of people they have never met before they might respond with excitement over the possibility of meeting new and interesting people, while another person is intimidated and nervous by the exact same scenario.

As if our natural differences didn’t make stress complicated enough, there is also the fact that our individual perception varies as well. On a week when things are going pretty well, having a computer printer go down temporarily in the middle of a project is mildly annoying, but on a week that has been difficult and already full of stressors it can be the last straw that breaks us down. The way we perceive a stressor at any given moment can greatly impact how strong our stress response is to any situation.

The good news is that we know the two major factors that can influence and reduce stress. The bad news is that it will take some work because they have to be personalized to your life. There will always be stressors that surprise us, but more often than not, you are already aware of the events, situations or scenarios you personally find stressful. The first step in reducing stress in your daily life is acknowledging what your individual stressors are then applying the two factors that most influence stress:

1) Successful Prediction

2) Perception of Control

The challenge is that just like trying to build any good habit, reducing the impact of stress in your life can only happen through a lifestyle change. It means we have to make a conscious effort to apply the principles of Successful Prediction & Perception of Control as often as possible in our daily lives. When we are able to predict stress, when we know a stressful event is going to happen in our lives, we are better able to prepare for it and therefore it will cause a much smaller stress response. When you are faced with a busy week full of activities and obligations, you can have a stress response before it even gets there by just dwelling on it. But by Predicting what your week will be like- if you plan your meals for the week, decide which day you need to do laundry, and what day you need to clean what room, you give yourself the Perception of Control that allows you to focus on the other events in the week that really do need attention. Successful Prediction, or planning ahead, will give you the Perception of Control that you need to navigate through any week with less stress.

Learning time-management and organizational skills are great ways to reduce unnecessary stress, because repetition of using Prediction and Perception of Control techniques actually shortens our stress response pattern over time. When practiced over and over the very skills and methods we use to prevent stress also help us cope better with unexpected stressful situations in general.

Developing the tools to reduce your daily stress will not come quickly or easily but will pay off in your life, not just giving you more emotional and mental peace, but also helping your overall physical health as well.

Share this:

When I got outside, got the dogs calmed down and I decided my house was not falling into a sinkhole, I came back inside. A few minutes later I received a text message from one of my friends telling me we had an earthquake.   I was shocked and wanted more information but to my surprise, my cell phone would not let me call out!  I could not get in touch with my husband who was working about 45 minutes away.

Over the next couple of days I heard a lot of people talking about how their phones would not let them get in contact with others.  I would ask them, “Do you and your friends/family have a plan in case it is a major emergency?”  The answer was always “no”.

There are 5 important questions to ask yourself to let you know if you and your family are prepared for a major emergency and 5 questions if you own a business:

Family

1) Does your family know where to meet in case you can not meet at your home and are unable to contact each other?

2) Do you have a family plan of action?  Do the kids know it and understand it?

3) Do you know what you have and can you prove it? (see article below).

4) Do you have copies of important papers located somewhere other than your home?

5) Do you have a survival kit in you vehicle and at your home?

Business

1) Do you have off-site back-ups for your computer information?

2) Does your family or staff know what your wishes are and what to do if you are temporarily unable to communicate with them due to an accident such as how long to keep the business running or when and how to close it?

3) Do you have in writing all of the clubs and organizations you/your business belongs to so that the person left in charge can inform them of your status?

4) Do you have it in writing how you plan to keep your business running during a natural disaster and does you staff know it?

5) People do not like to think about this but they need to: Who has the authority to make your business decisions, write the checks, pay bills or knows what your wishes are concerning closing the business if you can not communicate?

I was recently at a business meeting and the guest speaker was Curtis Steele of TLC Insurance, located in Harrisonburg, VA.  His presentation was about being prepared for an emergency or disaster.  It was such a good presentation that I asked him to write an article to use on this website to teach others the importance of being prepared.  Below is the article he sent.

“Do You Know What You Own?

Do you know what you possess?  For most individuals, after your home, personal property is probably the next highest valued asset you own.  Think about this for a moment; I personally have ten pair of shoes.  Let’s say on average they cost $50.  Alone, that is $500 worth of shoes.  Now, what about your jeans, shorts, shirts, etc?  That’s just the items in your dresser and closet.  Then it is on to the kitchen, living room, dining room and the list goes on.  Can you see where I am going with this?  The amount of money you have spent accumulating personal items can be staggering when added up.

So, what happens in the event of a total loss and you’re asked by the insurance company to provide an inventory of your possessions?  Can you accurately account for all items?  The truthful answer for most of us is no.

There are a couple of different ways to inventory your personal property but the one I like most and feel is the easiest is video.  Simply go room by room and video everything in the room.  Be sure to verbally describe the contents.  Include as much detail as possible; original cost, date purchased, any repairs done and cost of repair.  If applicable, provide a make, model and serial number.  Keep in mind that homeowners policies do carry limits on some items like antiques, art, guns, jewelry and collectables so it vitally important to know that limit and insure that property appropriately.  Add a “floater” or “schedule” those items on your homeowners policy.

Now that you have inventoried your personal property be sure to keep a copy at a separate location from your home.  Remember, we’re talking about a total loss; if the only copy you have is at your home you have lost it too.  I suggest a close relative or friend living nearby or even a safe deposit box.

You have just lost everything; you’re drained mentally and physically.  Life is extremely difficult at the moment, are you going to be in the right state of mind to think of all your possessions and come up with a value?  It’s hard enough to do before a loss; think of how it would be after a loss.  Be proactive and inventory your home.  When your life has just been turned upside down it will be one less thing to worry about.”

To get more insurance information about your home or business, you can contact Curtis Steele at 540-434-2398 or email curtis@tlcinsurance.net or contact your own insurance agent but GET PREPARED AND PLAN!

Share this:

Dates:
Augusta County – Tuesday, April 5th
Rockingham County – Wednesday, April 6th

Time: 6-7:30pm

Cost $20

*****You must register by noon on Monday, April 4th!

You may register for classes at the Augusta County Parks and Recreation Department located at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona, VA or the Rockingham County Recreation Department located at 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg, VA.

There is a class designed for everyone to help simplify life!

How to register for any of these classes:

1) Contact Clutter Conversions, LLC by phone or email: 540-294-1523 or www.clutterconversions@yahoo.com.

2) Contact Augusta County Parks and Recreation Department by phone: 540-245-5727.

3) Contact the Rockingham Recreation Department by phone: 540-564-3160.

Share this:

You may register for classes at the Augusta County Parks and Recreation Department located at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona, VA or the Rockingham County Recreation Department located at 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg, VA.
 
There is a class designed for everyone to help simplify life!
 
How to register for any of these classes:
1) Contact Clutter Conversions, LLC by phone or email: 540-294-1523 or www.clutterconversions@yahoo.com.
2) Contact Augusta County Parks and Recreation Department by phone: 540-245-5727.
3) Contact the Rockingham Recreation Department by phone: 540-564-3160.

Share this: