10 tips for dealing with holiday stress

1) Plan ahead: Set aside days for shopping, baking, visiting friends, and other such stuff. Include time for yourself!! Plan menus so you can do one big food shopping trip. Allow extra time for travel and standing in lines, you know these two things are always worse around the holidays.
2) Stick to a budget: Before you head out to go shopping decide how much you can afford to spend on gifts, food, etc. Truth be told you can not buy happiness in a blizzard of gifts and decorations.
3) Forget about perfection: In real life people don't resolve their family problems in the time of a movie or TV sitcom. Something will come up, expect and accept imperfections from all the situations and people you will encounter during this festive time.
4) Be realistic: Families change and grow, so do the holiday traditions. Hold on to the traditions you can but allow space for new and different traditions. Some of them may not be possible at all. Realistically our families are getting huge and spread out. This is a time to catch up and renew those relationships. Due to every one's growth we need to allow grace for those changes.
5) Set differences aside: Seek ways to accept how your family and friends have changed. Some of them are likely to not be able to live up to your expectations. Set aside any unresolved or new grievances until there is a more appropriate time. Stress and activity levels are high this time of year, thus this isn't always the best time to renew those relationships. Be patient and understanding when someone gets upset because things didn't go perfectly. Likely their feeling the effects of holiday stress as well.
6) Learn to say No: Believe it or not people will understand if you can not take on another activity and responsibility.
7) Take a breather: Make time for yourself every day. Try for 10-15 minutes each day. This is time without distractions, like a bath, extra long shower, lock yourself in the bathroom with a relax inducing candle!
8) Acknowledge your feelings: Feelings are OK. It's OK to feel sad and grief if you've lost a loved one and the holidays are exaggerating these feelings. It's OK to be frustrated and angry, accept those feelings. You don't have to force yourself to be happy just because of the holidays.
9) Seek support: If your feeling isolated or down seek out supportive family, friends, community organization, religious or social services. There are people out there who want to be supportive and helpful.
10) Seek professional help if you need it: Despite your best efforts you may find yourself persistently sad, depressed, anxious, or having physical issues. You may find yourself unable to sleep well, irritable, or hopeless. Even unable to face your normal everyday chores. If these symptoms last for several weeks it's time to seek professional help. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. These are all signs of clinical depression.
What areas are you willing to change in an effort to reduce your stress and increase your joyous holiday season?

Pin It