Have a Low-Stress Holiday 3 Tips for a Merrier Time
Get Started Early Holidays always arrive faster than we expect, so begin preparing early. If shopping for presents is a pain point, don’t wait until the last minute. Decorate earlier than you need to — or better yet, get the kids to do it for you. There’s only so much cooking you can do ahead of time, but ensuring you have all of the equipment and nonperishable ingredients you need a few weeks in advance will reduce both your workload and anxiety. Don’t Expect Perfection The sooner you let go of the idea of a “perfect” holiday, the sooner you’ll be able to have a happy one. Face it: Something will go wrong. Whether it’s an overcooked dish, a child throwing a temper tantrum, or your uncle talking politics at the dinner table, nothing will ever go just how you planned. So, embrace the imperfections. Whether you’re celebrating this year with a group of two or 20, holidays can be a stressful time — but they don’t have to be. With these tips, your festivities may not be picture-perfect, but they will be a lot of fun.
The holidays are right around the corner, and while many people can’t wait to eat turkey and swap presents, others only see stress on the horizon. Especially for
those hosting parties, between decorations, big dinners, excited kids, and visiting family, it can all feel overwhelming. If celebrations are happening at your house this year, here are three tips to lessen the strain and keep up the holiday cheer. Recharge First Ensure you’re rested and recharged before the holidays by taking time to relax, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that make you feel good. When you’re rushing to get everything done, it can be tempting to skip self-care routines, but that will cost you in the long run. Your daily exercise and other health activities keep you balanced and ready to face challenges head-on.
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Thanksgiving is one of the simplest holidays. All it asks is for us to gather with our loved ones, feast on great food, and appreciate what we have in life. It’s a poignant, powerful reminder, but it’s also a great opportunity to have necessary conversations about our estate plans. This Thanksgiving, make sure the relatives impacted by your estate plan understand your wishes and their responsibilities. Here are three ways to make those conversations easier. Take timing seriously. When the turkey is being carved, that’s probably not the best time to discuss executors of wills and durable powers of attorney. Instead, choose a time when you can speak privately with those who would be impacted by a will. This could be done over afternoon coffee and pie or even during Thanksgiving prep. You may also ask them to gather early, so you can share updates. Just make sure the timing doesn’t interfere with celebrations. Focus on the positives. Focus on “the why” and other benefits so the conversation will remain light. Remind your loved ones that you are choosing to have this conversation now because everyone is gathered and 2 floridaestateplanning.com 3 Tips for Easy Conversation
so that when something does happen, everyone understands the next steps. You should also emphasize that your decisions were made with expert guidance and are what you believe is best. This might also be a good time to remind adult siblings that certain responsibility designations are made based on personal abilities, not favoritism. Keep it quick. This conversation should be a simple status update, so encourage those with more in-depth questions to seek private conversations with you. Emphasize that this plan is something you will continue to update the group about as changes occur (because they will). This provides your family with an opportunity to learn about potential changes every year, while offering an outlet for additional conversations for those who need it. Then, you can get back to the feast! If you would like additional guidance on having these conversations with your family, check out our blog at FloridaEstatePlanning.com . Attorney Craig Hersch has multiple columns on this very topic! And remember, if any of these conversations spark changes, please contact our team.
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