Holiday Stress Inventory

How are you coping with holiday stress? Print out the inventory below. Circle numbers which best describe how you feel about the holidays.

During the holidays I take on too many responsibilities and I feel overwhelmed.
1.    Not usually.
2.    It has happened before.
3.    I usually do.
4.    Not just during the holidays.

I can't say no when I get asked to take on a holiday project.
1.    Saying no comes easy to me.
2.    It depends on who asked or the project.
3.    It's the holidays, how can I turn anyone down?
4.    I almost always have trouble saying no.

I am hurt when someone doesn't like the gift I give them.
    1. No, everyone has different tastes.
    2. I feel I should have taken more time about choosing the gift.
    3. After all the trouble I went to- I should feel hurt if they don't like it.
    4. I really worry about whether people will like what I give them and feel     crushed when they don't.

During the holidays I expect too much from myself and those around me.
    1. I am realistic about my expectations for myself and others.
    2. I am realistic about my expectations for others, but not myself.
    3. I am fairly realistic about my expectations for myself, but not for others.
    4. I always expect too much (and am often disappointed).

I feel as though I have to make the holidays a perfect experience for my entire family, keeping all the holiday traditions alive.
    1. Nothings perfect. We keep the traditions that work for us.
    2. We try to start our own traditions.
    3. We do not bother with traditions any more, but I miss them.
    4. We have so many traditions; I'm overwhelmed trying to keep them all.

If someone or something changes my holiday plans, I am frantic.
1.    If plans change I go with the flow.
2.    I allow some extra time for changes, but I don't like it.
3.    We have a schedule and we keep it no matter what.
4.    Frantic, that's putting it mildly.

I feel stressed during the holidays
    1. I choose to enjoy the holidays and keep a balanced life.
    2. The added events and responsibilities increase the stress, but I manage                                  most of the time.
    3. It seems as though I am so much more stressed during the holidays.
    4. I am stressed all the time and the holidays make it so much worse.

Add all the 1s here _________                       ________
Add all the 2s here _________ Multiply by 2 ________
Add all the 3s here _________ Multiply by 3 ________
Add all the 4s here _________ Multiply by 4 ________
Total                                                               _________
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