Another year passed.  It’s that time of the year again.  Everyone is hustling around trying to get their holiday gifts, planning dinners and events, and entertaining without going over budget.  However, with the holidays, anxiety and depression come because of people’s expectations.  Holidays can also be distressing especially if a loved one has passed on, a recent separation or divorce occurred, or if two people in the family are at odds with one another.

To help reduce holiday stressors, try doing some of the following:
Find a support structure of family and friends
Realize these gatherings are only once or twice a year for a few hours
Delegate responsibility.  You can’t do all of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and entertaining.
Goal and budget planning are a huge part of the unwinding process
Indulge yourself in something you’ve always wanted such as a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, or those Jimmy Choos you’ve been eyeing for the last three months.
Use your alone time to decompress and de-stress by taking a bubble bath or yoga class

While shopping, you should also take time to laugh and enjoy the scenery of the holidays.  Stop by the Wild Jungle Chick store at 2300 Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach, visit the retail website www.wildjunglechick.com, or visit the kiosk in the Tyron Square mall in St. Petersburg.  To help reduce stress, especially during the holidays by making people laugh, local merchant and resident, Karen Justice created a greeting card line, magnets, t-shirts, coasters, and mouse pads.  Her designs are created in tropical like settings often featuring two or three animals talking with one another.  The backdrops are vibrant and often display multi-shades of blue, yellow, and red.  The feel good and uplifting designs provide an instant vacation to everyone who sees them.  Karen’s mission is to help local residents relax and see the humor in life’s comedy.  She wants people to stop feeling frustrated and approach life in a more mirthful way.

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Greeting Cards, magnets, and prints sold via online to wholesalers, a retail store in Indian Rocks Beach, and an online retail site.