The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year—and every year it’s the same drill, right? On one side, we’re looking forward to seeing family and friends, excited about Black Friday sales and our travel plans; on the other side, we’re stressing about all the things we have to do: stocking food for our families and friends, buying new clothes for ourselves or other people in our lives, decorating our homes—not to mention making sure everybody likes their gifts! We’ve got you covered with these gift bundles from Aluminate Life, so you can focus on enjoying your time together as a family this holiday season.
Managing holiday stress is a real deal. The stress of planning a holiday party, making sure everyone gets what they need during a vacation, or simply getting your work done in the month before Christmas so you don’t end up with mismatched outfits for your family members. Whether it’s due to work demands or family obligations, this time of year can be one of the biggest challenges of our lives. So, you’re going to need some tips for dealing with holiday stress.
Holiday stress management – Tips to avoid holiday stress
There are some crystal clear things you can do differently to mitigate the holiday stress and make sure that you have a stress-free holiday this year. Let’s have a look at them.
Plan beforehand
It’s your holiday season, and you need to make sure that it’s a happy one. Think ahead and plan out a schedule of tasks so you can stay organized and prepared for the holidays. You’ll want to include on your to-do list tasks like confirming the guest list, making a shopping list, and planning out your meal. Another thing that can help is establishing a healthy routine before the big day so that when it comes down to the wire, everything will be ready when you need it.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help
The holidays can be stressful. There are so many people and things that need your attention, and you’re trying to juggle all of it at once. Even if you’ve planned, things still may go awry. It’s important to enlist help from others. With a little planning and effort, even small tasks become easier, freeing up time for more important tasks. For example, it may be helpful to ask an older relative if he or she would mind greeting guests at the door. Recruit teens to take coats or offer fruit juice to guests. Kids may direct guests to the buffet table. If you have younger children at home, hire help from outside, not only does it help you—but there’s also an added benefit of providing an extra adult in your life who can help keep everyone safe and happy during those busy times.
Block a time for self-care
People who tend to stress out easily should carve out time for an activity that makes them feel good. Maybe it’s a restorative bubble bath surrounded by a calm signature candle or 30 minutes of exercise or a phone call to a loved one. While you’re at it, figure out what makes you feel good and keep those things in mind when planning out your week. You might find that something as simple as taking a walk around the block can help boost your energy levels or just listening to music with the warm light of a release candle tin to reduce stress. Or try listening to music that makes you feel happy and relaxed.
Maintain Healthy Habits
The holidays can make it difficult to stick to healthy habits. To help keep your weight in check, get up early and do some light cardio exercise like jogging or riding a bike. Encourage family members to take their short walks or join you for impromptu snowshoeing or sledding outings. Eat healthy snacks like fresh fruit or vegetables throughout the season and fill up before a dinner party or celebration with tempting but unhealthy foods such as pies and cookies.
Embrace boundaries
As the holidays approach, many of us feel pressured to do more than we can handle. We feel like we have to check off all the boxes on our holiday to-do lists and still be able to enjoy the season with family and friends. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by family obligations try taking a break. Permit yourself to say no sometimes — even when saying yes feels like the right thing to do. It’s easy to feel guilty about turning down an invitation or canceling plans but don’t let other people’s expectations ruin your fun.
Wrapping up
The holidays can bring out the worst in some people. This isn’t to say that all stress is bad — but it certainly can feed into anxiety which can be very hard to deal with during the holidays. Fortunately, there are ways to keep yourself balanced and happy throughout this hectic time of year. Reduce stress naturally by turning on some music, lighting some fall-scented candles, or opening the windows on a sunny day to make you feel better. Research has found that listening to music and scents can boost your mood, as does getting vitamin D from sunshine or taking supplements. We hope these tips help you. Remember to look out for yourself and those around you, stay positive and focused on the holidays, and above all else, enjoy yourself!
