Give the gift of a more meaningful, stress-free holiday season

Vancouver, BC (December 6, 2006). With holiday decorations popping up in stores as early as October, and with Christmas carols a reality by mid-November, British Columbians are faced with the holiday season earlier and earlier in the year. The British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA) suggests that in order to reduce the stress that has become an all too real part of the holiday season, consider simplifying it.

Giving gifts has become ?the way things are done? during the holidays. Gift-giving generosity has become, for many, a way of showing someone how much you care. And British Columbians are giving so much that many go into debt paying off their credit cards for months after the holiday season. Yet common sense, as well as recent polling, shows that North Americans are more interested in pursuing ?more of what matters in life,? as opposed to accumulating more possessions.

With societal focus on buying gifts during the holidays, many of us feel that we?ve lost touch with the true meaning of the season. What does this time of year mean to British Columbians? For some people it's about spending time with friends and family, good food, fun and relaxation. For others, there is a spiritual aspect to the season. This seems simple, but for many British Columbians, this image could not be further from their reality. ?Too often holidays exhaust rather than uplift British Columbians due to the seemingly endless ritual of shopping, spending and frenzied holiday preparations,? says BCPA President, Dr. Wolfgang Linden. ?Instead of thinking of 'togetherness', 'fun', and 'sharing' - thoughts of 'shopping', 'debt', and 'stress' dance in our heads.?

The BCPA has some tips to help British Columbians during their holiday season:

• Talk to your family and friends about ways you can make the holidays less stressful and more fun.
• Think about what the holidays mean to you. Ask yourself, and those you celebrate with, whether or not your traditional celebrations focus on those aspects of the holidays you feel are most important.
• Recognize your holiday patterns and identify the most stressful elements. It is natural to ?go with the flow? of spending sprees, frantic parties, eating, and drinking because we do not take the time to think of anything to replace them with. We do not want to ?rock the boat? with relatives by suggesting ways of changing holiday routines lest we upset them. But think about what parts of your celebration could be most easily changed so that more time could be spent on things that are more meaningful to you.
• To create a magical holiday for children, consider spending less and planning more. Think about what was the best holiday celebration that you can remember as a child? What made it special? Try to create similar memories for the children in your life.
• When it comes to exchanging gifts, you may want to consider:

1. Agreeing on a spending limit.
2. Making a gift list and stick to it. Resist the urge to escalate, and continue to keep it simple.
3. Giving a gift of a donation to your favourite charity (or that of the recipient) and give a little "something" for your recipient to keep?if you think that's what he or she wants. Many non-profits offer magazines, newsletters, small toys, decals, etc. that support their causes.
4. Alternative gift-giving arrangements, for example: adults in a family agree only to give gifts to children extended families could give one gift to each household (such as a board game, museum membership, or tickets to a play), instead of multiple gifts to each person or, pull names out of a hat for gift exchange.

• Remember that holidays are not all about gifts. Sometimes the best gifts come in no packages. Consider a ?buy nothing? holiday. Tell your family and friends you would prefer not to exchange presents this Christmas, or that you would prefer to share home-made or alternative gifts. At the very least, this will start an interesting discussion about the meaning of the holiday