I have tried hard to be thrifty this holiday season.  I planned my gifts early, doing everything in my power to stick to the list.  My planning efforts were not just to save money, but to also save stress from crazy parking lots and over flowing malls.  Alas, my strong efforts could not stand last week when I had to visit a clothing store to buy my husband the one gift he really wanted. 

Entering the bustling mall with my youngest child in tow, I knew before I even began that this would be difficult.  My plan was to head straight to the store, pick up the item, walk up to the register and pay.  Then, I would turn around and walk out the same way I came in.  Twenty minutes, bodda bing, bodda boom.  Unfortunately, I did not anticipate the crowd of people that were also checking off their holiday lists.  Walking as quickly as I could, my two year old and I found the store.  We entered it, looking right past the ten sales clerks working the room and zeroed in on the exact jacket we were there to purchase.  I walked up to the counter with my merchandise, ready to pay- when I was asked, “Would you like that gift wrapped?” 

“Sure.” I responded.  Why not?  It’ll only take a couple of minutes. 

The clerk walked into the back with the jacket, leaving me with instructions to “look around” while she wrapped the gift.  Although this sounds effortless and fun to some, to a mother of a two year old with no stroller to strap him into- this is instant anxiety.  Sparkly, spinning wheels of jewlery displays stood right in front of his eye giving him instant entertainment.  Pulling off necklaces, earrings and bracelets, I struggled to keep up with him to put them away.  Steering away to other areas meant hiding in clothing racks and running under annoyed customer’s feet.  Ten minutes of this struggle went by before the clerk returned.  I hurridly paid and with package in hand, walked out the door, at least until the alarm went off.  Stopped by the sales people and asked to return to the store, I slumped my way back to the desk.  At that point they took the wrapped package away from me, my son screaming in my arms and went in the back to unwrap and rewrap the jacket.  Almost an hour passed before I was able to escape the hectic shopping center.

By the time I got in my car, I felt myself breathing quickly, my frustration bubbling inside and my face tensed up in a furrowed eyebrow scowl.  I had created and allowed myself to take part of a stressful situation. 

The stress followed throughout the day, until finally that night, while sitting by my son’s crib waiting for him to fall asleep- I stretched.  Basic stretches, like wide angle pose and lotus.  Easy stretches like spinal twist and seated forward fold.  In five minutes, I was able to reduce built up tension that clung to me all day.  Whew, a renewed feeling, an actual release of the day’s frustration!

While I will try to keep myself out of stressful situations like this, I know that it is not always possible to avoid.  So here is my promise to myself: I will always give myself five minutes before bed to stretch the stress right out of me.  I know I can fit it in my schedule, (i’m usually sitting by my son’s crib for at least 5 minutes). 

I bet it can fit into most of yours as well. Easy, calm stretches that let you loosen up your muscles will make a huge difference in your busy holiday schedule.  Then hopefully, the next time you’re at the mall and see a frantic mother with a crazy child trying buy her husband a gift, you’ll look at her with relaxed sympathy and maybe even offer to help.