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7 Try This Support Group Meeting Tip The holiday season can be a difficult and stressful time for many people with MS. With that in mind we reached out to our affiliated support group leaders to see what tips and tricks they had to share about handling stress and infusing fun into support group meetings during the holidays. Even if youre not currently in a support group you can still implement some of these ideas into your personal holiday routine. Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper for any presents you plan on giving. Gift bags make for a great presentation but require much less effort than wrapping a gift yourself. Many group leaders suggested exclusively shopping online for gifts. You wont have to deal with crowds or long distances and you can do it at your convenience. Searching is also easier as you simply type in the kind of gift you are looking for and then see where you can buy it online. Buy gift cards. You might feel like they arent as personal but if you know what stores the recipient likes or if you choose a store that almost anybody would be able to shop at the gift will be well- received.Therecipientcanbuywhatheorshewants and you dont have to deal with the difficulty of or pressure to find the perfect gift. Have a holiday party with your support group. We believe that one of the reasons to be in a support group is to have fun and a party certainly fitsthebill.ManygroupshavepartiesinDecember orgoouttoaholidaydinnertogether.Partiesoften includefoodgamescraftsgoodybagsandmusic. Hold a white elephant gift exchange. Each participant brings a wrapped gift 5 or less and places them in one area of the room. The first participant goes to the gift pile and takes a gift to open. On all other turns each participant can choose to open a new gift or steal someone elses gift. A person whose gift is stolen can then open a new gift or steal someone elses. Delegate specific tasks. Pick family friends or group members who are committed to helping and give them specific jobs to do to help with holiday preparations. Use your support system instead of trying to do it all on your own. UseyourOctoberorNovembergroupmeeting to discuss tips for handling holiday stress. Invite group members to contribute their ideas and strategies and come up with a list of tips that everyone can use and reference. Do something charitable. Helping others often lifts our own spirits. Some examples given to us by support groups included donating gifts to the Toys for Tots program and collecting nonperishables for a food pantry. Interested in more tips on handling stress and enjoying the holiday season Be sure to check out the Fall 2015 issue of MSFocus magazine which features various articles about the holidays A great big thank you goes out to the following groupleadersforcontributingtheideasfeaturedhere Cecile Looney Dee Walter Mary Grunewald Denise Franklin Suzanne OConnell and Juanita Guillespie Sharon David Ann Jones Susie Silver Phyllis Jacks Pam Secrist Peggy Johnson Karen Hart Rita Shapiola Tina Stitt Ron Sabellico Sandra Novak Manoj and Annie Joseph and Cindi Barrett.