Madness, I say!

Everyone seriously freaks out during this week.  Even though it's supposed to be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, everyone makes a strong effort to make it the exact opposite of that.

Home:  You're stressed about presents.  You're freaking out about the way the house looks.  You're losing your mind trying to figure out how to afford everything.  Your stomach hurts just thinking about what you're supposed to serve for dinner.  On top of that, your car needs servicing, the cat needs his shots, you still have no answers to all those resumes you sent out and the house is full of mold.

Commute:  The freeways are half full of people in a mad rush to get somewhere and half full of people in a relaxed, holiday mood in no rush to get anywhere.  The buses and trains are crammed with tourists and yuppies with shopping bags that take up more room than their overweight self and obese children combined.  Half of the people are happy and in that "No, after you" mood, and the other half are in that "Bah, Humbug, get the frack out of my way!" mood.

Work:  You think you're going to have an easy, short work week.  WRONG!  A 3-day work week just means everyone tries to cram 5 days worth of work into 3 days.  All your customers need things NOW, before Xmas.  But all your vendors are CLOSED until after New Year's.  You're freaking out because you can't do everything your customers ask you.  You're freaking out because you can't do everything your boss asks you.  You're freaking out because saying to yourself "At least you have a job" just doesn't make you feel better.

Self:  You're stressed because you have to see your family but you're still smoking.  And drinking.  And having sex with someone new again.  You desperately try to shed a few unwanted pounds to look nice, then stress out because you have to eat all this stuff or get nasty looks from your grandparents.  You have no good clothes to wear, and no means to get any.  You don't feel good enough about yourself to feel you deserve them anyway.  Which reminds you that your pharmacy was out of your Xanax due to a massive holiday rush.

Yes, there are a lot of things to become insane over.  But you know what, it's just Christmas!  Why take years off your life stressing over something that will be over in 4 hours, when you'll just have to do it all over again next year?  

Over the next few days, remember to stop and BREATHE once in a while.  It will help with the stress.  And remember these words someone once told me:  If you're not going to be stressing over it in 2 months, it's not something to stress over now.  

Here's hoping your holiday madness passes quickly and easily.