Unplug the Christmas Tree: Managing the Holidays
By Dr. Brian Carr
President, Behavioral Health Associates, Lubbock, Texas, 1991-Present
Chairman, City of Lubbock Board of Health, 2013
Submitted on December 7, 2013 - 5:09pm
Between Thanksgiving and the New Year the majority of my therapy sessions involve managing the stress of the holidays. Disruptions in regular work and school schedules, having to travel significant distances to visit, and the pursuit of the perfect Christmas gift result in a major stress load on people.
For many years during this season I have taught a Sunday School lesson entitled Unplug the Christmas Tree. The lesson offers some historical reference on how Christmas came about and the practices associated with the season.
The first point I like to make about this holiday season is to remember that traditions have a beginning and they have an ending. When one mindlessly pulls out a long list of traditions it can lead to significant stress as one tradition is mounted onto another. Everybodys favorite food dish grows as new members of the family are added. A holiday meal becomes an orgy of excessive food preparation and consumption. A mandate that long-standing traditions be honored can put one on the roof stringing lights in sub-zero weather.
Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof reminds us all of the importance of tradition, right up to the point where we face change and new beginnings. We are charmed by the idea that as long as we preserve the past we need not change, no matter how much this shift may improve our lives.
More at
http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2013-12-07/unplug-christmas-tree-managing-holidays .