Managing Holiday Stress: Tips for a Calmer Season
While the holiday season can be one of the most joyful, it is often filled with stress brought on by more hectic schedules, financial pressure, and social obligation. Following are some mindful strategies you might employ that can reduce holiday stress and let you get even more enjoyment out of the season. One of the most important things to help fight holiday stress is self-care. It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to fulfill everyone else’s needs, but taking time for yourself is essential. Something as simple as a bath and meditation, or even just a quiet walk alone, can reduce the level of your stress. It allows one to set time apart to keep one in ease and at equilibrium.
Setting boundaries is another key to coping with your stress during the holiday. Since there are many social events or family gatherings, you need to know the limit. You don’t need to feel obligated to attend every event or try to please everybody. One protects their energies and avoids feeling overwhelmed by saying “no” where it is needed.
This will save you from last-minute stress. Make a list of holiday tasks to be done, whether it is shopping for gifts, meal preparation, or coordinating social events. By planning ahead, you are in control and will avoid the panic of last-minute preparations.
An attitude of gratitude will help you be calm through the holiday. Holiday seasons may be a source of stress, but putting your mind on what you need to be grateful for helps lessen such tension. Gratitude-in-practice, whether it’s jotted down on paper or reflected on moment by moment, assists in keeping it all real during this time.
Lastly, give yourself permission to scale down your holiday expectations. You don’t have to do it all or do it perfectly. Scale down your priorities to those things most important to you, and then let the perfectionism go. Allow yourself an enjoyable, nostress holiday:.