Holiday time is upon us, and with it the stress of parties, family gatherings, shopping, and platters upon platters of irresistible, sugar-packed treats. Especially cookies. Oh, the cookies!
This year, though, we don’t want to get swept away with stress, and we don’t want you to be, either. Instead of cookies, we want to swap recipes for holiday stress relief, and we’ve prepared a few tried-and-true recipes of our own to share with you.
These recipes can help you navigate a tricky family dinner, shop without losing your temper, put a lid on the perfectionism, and more. Just like your favorites from The Joy of Cooking, these recipes are about combining different ingredients to create a new, delightful thing. In other words, order from the chaos! Our stress relief recipes put you in control of your holiday experience.
Here are three of our favorite Holiday Stress Relief Recipes. (Find the rest throughout December at our blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.)
Recipes for Resilience
This recipe is a meQuilibrium classic, good anytime of year for keeping you physically, emotionally, and mentally steady when the world is awhirl.
7 ½ hours of sleep
10 minutes meditation or prayer
25 minutes intense exercise
2 acts of generosity
1 cuddle with dog or cat (optional)
3 dollops joy
Blend evenly & enjoy frequently. Take daily for long-term benefits.
Recipe for Meaningful Gifts
The pressure to get the right gift for a loved one so easily bleeds into getting a lot of presents. This recipe helps you dial down the pressure and dial into what important relationships really mean to you—and how to honor them with a gift.
1 walk down memory lane
2 cups heart and soul
3 tsp courage
a sensible budget
dash of appreciation
Prep ingredients well in advance of holiday rush. You don’t have to make a lot—think quality over quantity.
Perfectionism Tonic
The urge to make things perfect is never fiercer than around the holidays. Events should be emotionally resonant. Beautifully decorated. Thoughtfully timed. Joyous. Well-lit. That’s a recipe for crazy. Our tonic eases that stress and puts your energy where it belongs: right here, right now.
1 set clear doable goals
2 lb. delegation
1 handful reality checks
sharp knife for slicing illusion
hearty infusion of “Eh, so what”
2 oz. gratitude & laughter
Discard and rigidity, resentment, or envy. Don’t be surprised if the recipe turns out differently than you planned!
Now, a swap only works when lots of people pitch in! We’d love to hear your holiday stress relief recipes. In fact, we’d be thrilled! Send them on over to recipes@mequilibrium.com or post them on our Facebook page.
We can’t wait to learn from you, to share in our collective wisdom on how to survive this holiday season, even how to truly celebrate it. Let the Swap, and your less stressful holiday, begin!