Holiday Recovery Plan

I remember reading years ago in a health-type book that depression is your body's natural response to stress.  I found it surprising, because I always thought of depression as a BAD thing and something to be resisted.  It can become a bad thing, if allowed to go on too long, but it is actually healthy and perfectly natural.
I mean, think about it, this whole holiday thing is a massive undertaking for a homemaker who already has enough on her plate.  The laundry is still piling up, food still needs bought, cooked and cleaned up, the house still needs maintained, school work goes on....now add to that Christmas shopping, decorating, company, baking, visiting, etc.  Yikes!  It's no wonder I'm relieved when it's all over and boring January rolls around.

So, back to the depression idea.  The doctor who wrote that book, The Word on Health, pointed out that in order to recover from an especially stressful time in your life, you need to plan some down time afterwards.  If you don't, your body will do it on its own, and that's why we get depressed or sick alot of times after a big event.  We've been all jacked up on adrenaline for an extended time, and now it's time to come back down.  Time for your body to heal itself and for your mind to chill out.

It seems to me that life doesn't want me to have a day off, though.  I'm going to have to call in sick, before I actually get sick!  I usually try to plan some down-time for my kiddos, too.  Just a few days of doing absolutely nothing but the necessities.  Eating leftovers on paper plates.  Watching movies.  Staying in our jammies.  And NOT going anywhere!  We've got to detox from all the sugar, too.

One year, when my firstborn was about three, he got really sick right after Christmas.  He just couldn't seem to shake it.  When I finally took him to the doc, something I rarely do, all the guy could tell me was,  "Too much Christmas."  Sixty bucks later...Gee, thanks a lot!  But now I've come to understand what he meant.  Our immune systems can only handle so much.  Holidays are stressful.  Traveling exposes us to a whole new variety of germs.  We're not eating very good or sleeping enough.  Just because it's all fun and voluntary, doesn't mean that it's not hard.  And hard on us.

So, if your kids seem especially whiny...
Or if you're feeling a little moodier than usual...

Maybe you just need a break.
I sure do.
You DESERVE a break.

Besides, it's doctor's orders!

Happy chillin'
jen