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The Holiday Escape Plan
It’s a tough time of year for many folks. Here are ways to cope and have fun locally.
By LAURA CHEREAU
FOR COAST WEEKEND
I
f Thanksgiving was any kind of
preview, the holidays can be a dif-
ficult time. If you’re nervous about
Christmas and New Year’s, here are
some tips, tricks and treats for a positive
holiday experience with help from Amy
Baker, the executive director of Clatsop
Behavioral Healthcare.
For starters, don’t compare.
“My advice would be to never
benchmark your holiday based on
Facebook or Hallmark,”
Baker said. “Expecta-
tions themselves are the
saboteur of any holi-
day.”
Accept life as it is
and lower your ex-
pectations so as not to
Amy
fall prey to the “social
Baker
marketing of Facebook”
and the like, she said.
In the event that:
1.) You self-criticize
Try self-compassion instead.
“Self-compassion is a mixture of
being kind to yourself and recognizing
what is human experience. All humans
fail and make mistakes, and life expe-
rience is flawed and imperfect,” Baker
said. “If you can accept that, it may
be less frustrating or painful when the
family member says the awkward thing
at the dinner table.”
Picture it. “Now you get to experi-
ence human fallibility,” she said.
Don’t forget the Christmas Eve
Ugly Sweater Party at Capricorn Pub
and Fine Food 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24.
2.) Someone hurts your feelings, or
you find yourself feeling angry
Head to Youngs River Falls and pic-
ture the words that person said cascad-
ing, crashing and floating away.
Alternatively, spend time with
animals. Observe the elk contentedly
grazing at the Jewell Meadows Wild-
life Area.
Or go bowling at Lower Columbia
Bowl. Enjoy the physical sensation of
ALEX PAJUNAS PHOTOS
Chilling mist from Youngs River Falls,
mixed with below freezing temperatures,
left logs and limbs weighed down by a
thick coating of ice in this 2013 photo.
throwing something heavy and head-
shaped down a long wooden alley.
In Germany around 400 A.D.,
bowling was seen as a sort of ritual to
cleanse oneself of sins. In England in
1541, common workers could only bowl
on Christmas. Combine the two and you
have a recipe for holiday relief.
3.) You witness something awk-
ward
“Exercise is proven to reduce anxiety
and depression,” Baker said.
Excuse yourself for a walk. We live
in such a beautiful area that any walk
Continued on Page 14
Bob Sturdevant, of Long Beach, Washington, looks to pick up another strike at Lower
Columbia Bowl in this 2013 photo.