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Balancing Act Archives |
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August, 2006: Family Snack Smarts |
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July, 2006: Cooperative Co-parenting |
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June, 2006: Street Proofing Teens 101 |
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May, 2006: Harmony is in season: Harmony is in season: Warm Weather Activities To Bring The Family Together |
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April, 2006: Caregiving: Sensible Steps To Success |
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March, 2006: Healthy Eating In A Fast Food World |
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February, 2006: Stress Busters to Stay Lighthearted |
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January, 2006: Brain Gain in Life's Later Years |
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December, 2005: Holiday Budget Planning |
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November, 2005: Combating Childhood Obesity |
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October, 2005: Eating Away at Colds and Flu |
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September, 2005: Avoiding the Aches of Osteoarthritis |
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August, 2005: Growing Older, Eating Wiser |
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July, 2005: Nutrition Tips for the Healthiest Summer Ever |
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June, 2005: Long-Term Care Facilities/Nursing Homes - How Do I Choose the Right One? |
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May, 2005: Nutrition and Your Baby: Introducing solid food to the menu |
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April, 2005: When Baby Comes Home For The First Time |
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March, 2005: Stepping into the Role of Stepparent |
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February, 2005: Pumping Fitness into Your Day |
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January, 2005: Remedies for Financial Holiday Hangovers |
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December, 2004: Time Out: Making the most of the holidays |
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November, 2004: An Ounce of Prevention: Type 2 Diabetes |
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October, 2004: Dealing with Peer Pressure |
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September, 2004: Long Distance Caregiving |
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August, 2004: The ‘Be-tween’ Transition, 2004 |
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July, 2004: Easing into summer vacation |
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June, 2004: A family-friendly balance for working fathers |
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May, 2004: Communication Tips to Help Young Minds Grow |
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April, 2004: Tips for Making the Tax Season Less Taxing |
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March, 2004: The Dieting Merry-Go-Round |
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February, 2004: Keeping Your Financial Future in Check |
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January, 2004: Here Comes the Flu |
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December, 2003: Communicating with your Teen |
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November, 2003: Eating for Energy |
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October, 2003: Work-life Balance: Making it Work for You |
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September, 2003: The Homework Zone |
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August, 2003: Health Hints to Ease Your Family in to the Fall Season |
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July, 2003: Stay Alert and Stay Safe - Streetproofing your kids |
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June, 2003: Summer Activities for Stay-at-Home Kids |
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May, 2003: Helping Older Relatives Stay Active |
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April, 2003: Spring-cleaning: For the home, the family, and you |
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March, 2003: Choosing a Summer Camp |
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February, 2003: Baby couch potatoes: Tearing your kids away from the TV |
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January, 2003: Resolution Solutions |
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December, 2002: Holiday Stress Blasters |
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November, 2002: Beating the Winter Blues |
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October, 2002: Making the most of family mealtimes |
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September, 2002: Generation Relations |
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August 2002: Vacation Relaxation |
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July 2002: Swimming Safety |
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May 2002: Stuck in the Middle. The Sandwich Generation |
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April, 2002: Supporting Your Child's Social Success |
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March, 2002: After the Spring Break ... Take a Break For Yourself |
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February, 2002: Keep those loving connections alive |
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January, 2002: Ringing in a Balanced New Year |
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December, 2001: Holiday Safety Tips |
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November, 2001: It's Flu Season |
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October, 2001: Halloween Safety Tips |
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September, 2001: Back to school |
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Holiday
Stress Blasters
The holidays are fun? This shouldn’t be a question,
but for those trying to juggle work and home with presents,
parties and perfection, it can be one of the most taxing times
of the year. If you’re left feeling snowed under by the
season, then clear some time out of your hectic holiday schedule
to take in the tips below.
Be realistic. A romanticized vision of the
‘perfect’ holiday with your ‘perfect’
family is sure to disappoint. Embrace the fact that stress and
minor conflict go hand-in-hand with the joy and fun of the holiday
season. Relax and accept the imperfections of yourself and your
family.
Start sooner rather than later. Set aside
a little time every day to prepare for the holidays. Spacing
out your errands will help ease the pressure and reduce the
likelihood of last-minute panic situations.
Just say “no.” During the holidays,
work, personal and family obligations can wreak havoc on your
daily routine, cut into your free time and leave you feeling
overwhelmed. Be selective and say “yes” only to
those invites you really want to attend. Send a card to those
you decline and—if you’re concerned about offending
the host—a small gift for guests to enjoy (flowers, wine,
food etc.).
Ask and you will receive. Recruit the support
of other family members. Just because they’re not volunteering,
doesn’t mean they don’t want to help. Children especially
enjoy being part of the action. Younger kids can make cards,
decorate or tidy up while older children can help out with gift
wrapping, food preparation and other errands.
Stick to your budget. It’s not hard
get caught up in the flurry of holiday spending, but once the
sparkle of the holidays is over, you could be left with a very
stark, very real bill. Avoid starting the new year in the red:
draw up a realistic financial plan for the season and honour
it.
Stay healthy. Contrary to popular belief,
that ‘jolly old elf”—who lives on a diet of
milk and cookies is not a role model for health and wellness.
It’s easy to let healthy eating and exercise fall to the
wayside during this indulgent time. Make an effort to get enough
sleep, limit your consumption of alcohol and fatty foods and
squeeze in physical activity whenever possible. Being well-rested
and healthy will help you cope better with your stress.
Enjoy the ride. Concentrating on ‘the
big day’ can take away from the fun of getting there.
Take pleasure in the here and now of planning, preparation and
time spent with family and friends reaching the final holiday
destination.
Need more information on parenting? Your Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) can help with a child to elder care resource and referral service
that is geared toward enhancing the quality of family life. Call your
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to see if you are eligible for the
child to elder care resource and referral service at 1 866.468.9461
or 1.800.387.4765.
This newsletter is meant for informational purposes only and may not necessarily represent the views of individual organizations.
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