Are You Chillin' Over the Holidays?

Stressed again over the holidays? I hope not. This is the time to celebrate the holidays and recharge your batteries for the energy it takes to be an educator and administrator of culinary arts and hospitality education. To see the reasons you may have been stressed read the list of statements below and see how many you can answer “yes” because the more “no” answers the higher the stress.


1. I thought in advance what I want the holiday season to be like for myself, your family and friends.
2. I found some ways to quietly celebrate the holidays.
3. I set a budget for what I would spend on gifts AND stuck to it.
4. I gave of myself instead of through store bought gifts.
5. I found time to do activities that would refresh me to keep up with the busy holiday season.
6. I made a list of things to do during the holidays.
7. I focused on completing my holiday to do list after I made it out.
8. Take charge of your holidays in advance by making lists of things to do.
9. I recruited assistance from friends, family members or others to help with the chores that come with the holidays from cooking to cleaning to wrapping gifts and more.
10. I created a positive atmosphere to lift my spirits.
11. I tried to be myself instead of maintain a façade of what others might expect.
12. I established the number of visits and the duration of those visits with loved ones to maintain control of my schedule.
13. I did not use a holiday gathering to settle old scores with family members, friends, and others.
14. I recognized past losses of family and friends and stayed aware of how those losses my affect my emotions over the holidays.
15. I took time to enjoy those things that are meaningful to me during the holidays.

Hope you had lots of "yes" answers and perhaps those "no's" can be flipped to a "yes" next year for your sanity and the sake of those who are counting the days to sit before you and begin the spring term.