Executive Director's December Message

The holidays are upon us. With all the anticipation that accompanies them, this time can be stressful in many ways, which is why it is important we attend to our emotional well-being throughout the holiday season. When I was a young mom trying to impress my visiting in-laws, I would clean the house from top-to-bottom, and break out my favorite family recipes to cook up a feast. As an overachiever, I added my own stressors to the big occasion.

I learned that perfection is overrated, so I wised up and made myself the CHO, Chief Holiday Orchestrator. I use my leadership and organizational skills to track who I’ve assigned to make a dish or to a task. I send my guests their assignment well in advance, and I always make sure there’s a small team on clean-up duty.

This holiday, be honest with yourself about what may cause you stress. With inflation worries, many families aren’t sure they can get their loved ones the gifts they want. Everyone’s hectic workload and schedules may mean extra shifts or overtime, which could lead to increased burn-out.

If you need help managing your stress, SFHSS is introducing a new Happy Healthy Holidays campaign to share resources for what you can do to improve your health. Listen to your body and choose the area where you may need the most help. Take some stress off by sharing the holiday workload. Carve out some “me” time. And realize that it is okay to ask for help or offer help, even if the person isn’t asking.

Don’t forget to get your flu shot and COVID booster before gathering. No one has ever said they want to get sick during the holidays, so let’s all do our part.

Have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

Be well,

Abbie Yant, RN, MA