Holiday Survival Guide

Welcome back to the Holiday Edition of Tuesday’s Tips. For the entire month of December, I’m dedicating every Tuesdayto dispensing 1 tip designed to help YOU survive the holidays.

Last week we talked about the importance of self-care in managing stress. I expect that you’ve amped it up in the past week. If you missed last week’s blog, I’ve linked to it here.

This week I want to talk about boundaries. I’m talking to those of you who ascribe to a peace at any price philosophy. This steadfast commitment to pleasing those around you is the surest way to invite holiday heartache, so listen up:

You can’t say YES to every person, every request and every invitation. And I know that you don’t have the vaguest idea of how to begin saying NO, so I’m giving you a script:

This week, you are obligated to respond to a request, a person or an invitation by saying the following:  “I would love to but unfortunately I can’t.” That’s all. No detailed explanation of why because it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you communicate that you wish you could have [fill in blank here].

I want to hear how you do with this challenge. Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.