Ah, Christmas. The season of goodwill. It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most stressful. Lucky for you, dear reader, I’ve put together some stress-busting tips to help my fellow cachers survive the silly season!

1. Be Prepared to be Disappointed 

If that special someone has failed to buy you the geocoin you really wanted, despite the many not-so-subtle hints you’ve been dropping, then you have two choices. You can put on your best fake smile and chirp ‘thank youuuuu’ as convincingly as you can, while internally screaming. Or, you can make sure they get the hint next year. One word: tantrum. Throw yourself on the ground, roll around while kicking your arms and legs and wailing at the top of your lungs. The most important thing is to have a plan and know in advance which way you’re going to go: grin and bear it, or kick and scream.

2. Don’t Stress about Over-Indulging 

The more you eat, the more you can justify getting outside for exercise: walking, jogging, or you know…. geocaching! So fill up on the festive treats and leave the guilt at GZ!

3. Avoid Awkward Conversations

….by talking about geocaching all the time! Muggles will start to avoid you when you turn the conversation to caching every time they ask you annoying questions such as, “why are you still single?”, “when are you two getting married?”, “when are you going to face up to your drinking problem?” Yawn. Dazzle them with geo-jargon and they’ll either avoid talking to you at all costs or think you’ve lost it completely. Perhaps even both.

4. Swipe all the Christmas Cracker Goodies 

That crap makes excellent swag! Even if Uncle Bob insists he wants to keep that plastic thimble, chances are you’ll find it discarded somewhere later when he’s having his post-sherry snooze on the couch.

5. Dealing with Surprise Guests

Nobody likes them. If we actually liked them, we would have arranged for them to visit. Leave a sign on the front door that says ‘Gone Geocaching’ and stay in the back of the house if possible, keeping all visible lights off.

6. Go for a walk to help digest that large meal 

You’ve had a lot to eat, you feel a little uncomfortable almost and you need to make room for a lot more junk food later on, so it kind of goes without saying that you need to get out and go for a walk. It’s been scientifically proven that a post-meal walk can aid digestion. If you happen to go for a walk in a place where geocaches are hidden, then that would be a happy – and entirely innocent – coincidence.

What tips do you have for banishing holiday stress?

Happy Holidays!

Sarah

© 2017 | Sarah McLarkey | All Rights Reserved