Reduce Holiday Stress to Enjoy what Matters Most

We proudly manufacture a door that allows the low-maintenance and eco-friendly lifestyle for you for years to come (read more about those here)! We also want this same ease and confidence to find you in other aspects of your life and the approaching holiday season! Because we hold our family values above all else, we thought it would be prudent to share with you some tips to reduce holiday stress and increase connections and joy!

First things first - establish what is most important - your personal and family values. If you aren't clear on what these are, make a list of all the 'things' that need to be done and a list of all the values you hold close (this could be your family, your finances, your religion, or anything). Compare your lists and establish the events and expenses (financial, time, and emotional) that align with your true values and true joy. So make your list and check it twice!

Next - set yourself some boundaries. There are so many exciting and/or demanding ways for us to spend our time and energy during the holidays, but the hard truth is that you do not have to do any of them! Okay - don't miss Christmas with your grandparents or slack off on the food drive donations, but you do not have to attend every single thing you're invited to attend or contribute to! Just. Say. No.

Both of these first two steps are to help you avoid conflict internally and externally. When you are clear on what you want to do, the next step is to visualize how you want it to go. In any holiday gathering, there is the risk of conflict between friends and family (we are all usually wound pretty tightly this time of year); however, this year with even more heightened attention on COVID, politics, the economy, and more, our dinner tables may invite some awkward conversations. Get ahead of this by establishing the boundaries for the group and for you as an individual.

Now that you can visualize your calendar, it's time to plan ahead:

1. Be sure to find time to be quiet and embrace the stillness of the season. Remember the Reason for the Season: it isn't about the quantity of the presents or your presence, but it most assuredly IS the quality of the experience.
2. Purchase and wrap all presents before the date of the exchange.
3. Purchase/Prep all food dishes, beverages, or other contributions to the event well in advance - you never know when Costco will be out of cocktail shrimp platters!
4. Schedule time to exercise and eat well. If you let your gas tank run empty, you may find yourself stuck in the garage.

Finally - in all situations - find the joy! Celebrate the small gifts as much as the large ones. Recognize the lights strung about on the way to work or to run errands. Marvel in the flurries and the twinkling ice. Watch a Hallmark movie and feel (a little cheesy and) warm inside. Recognize the effort in others even when the experience isn't shining. And know that you have given yourself the gift of being present.

It may be odd for a garage door manufacturing company to be doling out holiday stress advice, but we are more than just that. We are people first - people who want to make the most of each day and build strong relationships. We are a company that spans four generations, and we have learned over time that the true value of our business is the work we do with and for our family (which includes our family of origin, our family at work, and our family of partners). 

As the holiday approaches, we wish each and everyone of you a stress-free holiday lifestyle that matches the stress-free lifestyle of our doors!