All Posts tagged manage holiday stress

The holiday season can be a wonderful time of the year to enjoy with your family and friends. The list of events often appears endless: work parties, school events, and big family dinners, to name a few. In between all the formal engagements comes shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking, planning, and scheduling. It’s easy to get lost in the details and miss actually enjoying yourself. Here are a few ways to keep calm this December.

1. Slow down! While it’s easier said than done, especially with the aforementioned list of holiday duties, take time to enjoy yourself and your loved ones. Shift your focus from relying on drawing gratitude from material goods and work on loving the time you get to spend with your family. Look for ways to prioritize memories!
2. It’s okay to say, no! With so much pressure to be a million places, buy a ton of gifts, and make endless batches of cookies and brownies, it can easily lead to exhaustion. Instead of agreeing to every holiday request, look for a way to balance the plans. Try to incorporate self-care into the mix. It’s okay to send bought cookies to your child’s school function and it’s okay to say no to events if you are already booked up.
3. Find help by working with friends. When you can’t say no, look for ways to combine forces with a friend or another mom in the community. Odds are your friends, especially other moms, will also be stretched thin. Carpooling, baking parties, and holiday meal prep gatherings can help spread out your load.
4. Look for ways to include your kiddos in the plans. While this is tricky with small children, kids five and up can certainly lend a hand. By being involved in the cooking, cleaning, and planning of the events, odds are the kids will feel more connected to it. Some ideas include having the kids make holiday cards, wrap presents, set the holiday table settings, or even come up with a holiday variety show act to entertain guests.
5. Acknowledge your feelings. Most people feel moments of sadness around the holidays. Whether it’s sadness from a lost loved one, a break up, or even feelings of isolation or loneliness, it’s best to allow yourself to accept the feeling. It’s okay to take some time to be sad or to cry. Feel it and work to move on. If having trouble with the feelings, then reach out for help. Look for local social, religious, or community organizations that can help you deal with the emotion.
6. Stick to a plan! One of the best ways to navigate the holidays is to plan your activities in advance. This will help you stay organized and be less stressed overall. While using a calendar to plan activities is a no brainer, also make lists of what needs to be done (cooking/shopping/cleaning) and lists of items you plan to purchase.
7. Lastly, take a break! If you find yourself feeling stressed in the moment, try taking a 10- or 15-minute break to clear your mind. Some ideas include a crisp walk around the block to stargaze or look at the neighborhood lights, following a short yoga or guided meditation video online or on your phone, or even simply taking some time to sit in a quiet room with music on. Do your best to enjoy this wonderful time of year.