You know that friend who always sees the worst in your teams? No matter if your program wins or loses, they complain. “We won, but our offense had a turnover!” “Man, those refs were horrible!” “We should have won by double digits!” It is just never good enough. They just can’t enjoy the moment. For some reason, the holidays add stress and anxiety on many people. Here are a few tips to not be a Scrooge this holiday season.
Find Joy in Your Current Situation
Every sport has its power programs. Football has Alabama. Basketball has Duke. Track and field has Oregon. And although others strive to be as dominant, they in many ways will never be. That doesn’t mean that programs shouldn’t be happy with their current situation. We have all been at lower points in our program’s history, and possibly in our health journey as well. Take some time to really reflect during these holidays. Revisit some of your lowest times. And remember how far you have come with regards to your health and wellness. Celebrate the journey. It has and can be worse.
Delegate Responsibilities
All great leaders understand that they can’t do it all. They must trust their employees and delegate tasks. Top athletic directors do this. Top head coaches do this. During the holiday season, do not try to do everything. Find ways to take things off your plate. Have your sister bring dessert. Have your mom bring the drinks. Focus on what you do best and let the others handle theirs. Delegating responsibilities will help not feel overburdened these holidays.
Don’t Overbook
Every sport has a set number of events that they can take part in. This is to assure that student-athletes aren’t overwhelmed with sporting events daily. This allows them to attend class. As a former collegiate athlete, I believe there must be a balance to the madness of collegiate sports. School and competing are not easy to do. This holiday season do not overbook yourself. Family events, shopping, and company parties are great but leave some time to rest and relax. Try to find your healthy balance of events and relaxation.
The holiday season is a time of joy. But unfortunately, this time of year is stressful for some people. If this is you, find ways to eliminate stress and anxiety. Find joy in how far you have come in your life by revisiting your journey with the understanding that life has been worst and could be worst at times. Holiday responsibilities need to be delegated to others so that you don’t shoulder the burden of all like cooking or buying of supplies for family events. Also, do not over commit yourself by promising you will visit all family, friends, and coworkers. Find ways to limit the issues that bother you the most about the holidays. This will allow you to enjoy the holiday season, and not be a Scrooge.