Five Tips for Beating Holiday Stress
The holidays are upon us!
With the year wrapping up, it’s fair to say that things get a little busy. Many of us are planning various holiday activities, traveling to see family, preparing for guests, and the list goes on. As fun as the holiday season can be for many, it can also be a time of great stress. Here are five tips on how to manage your stress levels to keep your holiday season peaceful and joyful, no matter what you celebrate.
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1. Take time for yourself
Preparing for the holiday season can be very hectic on their own. And when you add in your work schedule and other obligations, it can often feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. This can mean that basic self care can get pushed to the wayside. I have absolutely struggled with the idea that if I can’t do something 100%, I might as well not do it at all. But that’s simply not the case with basic self care.
If you’re used to taking a shower every single day and that’s just not viable with everything you have to do, showering every other day works just as well. Or maybe you need to switch to night showers instead of morning showers for the season. (I personally think afternoon showers can be quite invigorating if that’s when you have the time.) Remember to keep yourself fed and hydrated during the day as well. I assure you, microwaveable meals provide nourishment just like cooking everything from scratch. No matter what is going on this holiday season, your basic self care needs are important. While they may not look exactly like they do the rest of the year, that’s okay. As long as you’re still taking care of yourself.
2. Reflect on what the holiday season means to you
The things on your holiday to-do list can feel overwhelming, like every little detail is life or death. Take time to sit with yourself and think about what the holiday season means to you and why you celebrate it (or don’t celebrate it) in the first place. What parts of your personal traditions bring you joy? Peace? Merriment? Which pieces mean the most to you?
Prioritize your season and don’t stress as much about the parts that aren’t important in your eyes. This can mean putting more effort into scheduling time to see family if family is a big part of your season. But it can also mean putting more effort into spending time with yourself if self-love is more important to you. Is a specific food a must for you during the last part of the year? Make that treat a greater priority on your list and let something less important take up less of your mental space. You don’t have to handle everything, so prioritize the things that will make your season the best it can be for you.
3. Be intentional
Now that you know which things you’re going to prioritize during the holiday season, be intentional when you’re partaking in them. It’s easy to finally get to something you’ve been looking forward to all season only to find yourself drifting away and thinking of other things when you’re supposed to be enjoying it. Then, you can find yourself having not enjoyed it at all, which can lead to feelings of disappointment and even guilt.
Allow yourself to enjoy those moments that you’ve been looking forward to and working towards. Maybe it’s watching your favorite holiday movie. Maybe it’s preparing and then digging into the aforementioned favorite treat. Maybe it’s decorating. Whatever it is that you’ve been looking forward to, be present in the moment while it is happening. If you find your mind wandering, take a moment to breathe and re-center yourself so you can really enjoy every second of the holiday activities you’ve put your effort into.
4. Build a holiday security network
Creating a safe network of people you can trust is helpful all year-round. But it’s especially helpful during the holidays. The sheer scale of the holiday season can be a lot to deal with as one individual. However, human beings were not meant to deal with adversity alone and neither were you. Your security network can include partners, family, friends, or a combination of all those categories. The important part is that you know you can go to those people for support during a time of stress.
If you don’t already have a group of people who you could consider a security network, consider creating a list of people you know who consistently have your back. Or consider meeting with a life coach to get support in creating this list and preparing for your holiday season.
5. Give yourself grace
Sometimes, we hold ourselves to a very high standard around the holiday season. Maybe we have expectations thrust upon us from family or friends that we aren’t always able to meet. And perhaps we internalize that and start thinking of it as a reflection on our own capabilities. Give yourself some grace this season. It’s okay if you can’t get to every little tradition or make it to every get-together. It’s okay if you aren’t in a good financial position to be celebrating as hard as you would like to. And it’s okay to show yourself kindness if you’re not able to meet an expectation you were hoping to meet. That can be a hard pill to swallow for some folks, but giving yourself grace lets you let go of so much stress and anxiety that the holiday season can bring.
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The holidays can bring so much joy into our lives and can really brighten the darker part of the year. But the holidays can also bring undue stress into our lives that we need to combat in order to enjoy the season to its fullest. I hope these five tips are helpful to you as you navigate the end of the year and bring you peace in a time of excitement and high energy.