The holidays are a time for laughter, joy, and love. However, it often brings a lot of stress. Here are 14 easy ways to reduce the stress you may feel during the holiday season.
Set a Budget
A lot of holiday stress comes from financial burdens. This can be eliminated by setting a budget.
Write down each person you want to give a gift to. Then, create a budget that you know you can keep.
If you are especially tight on money this year, try thinking of handmade gifts. Service gifts go a long way as well and will let people know how much you love them.
Decorate
Decorating your house for the holidays always helps to keep the joy and reduce stress. Find decorations that truly make you happy.
The winter blues can come in at any time and will only increase your stress. A big part of seasonal depression is having dead plants and trees outside.
One way to help this is to over decorate. Get some fake plants if you need to. Do whatever you can to bring life to your home to help combat that sadness and stress.
Self-Care
We could all use a little more self-care, especially during the holiday season. So often, we are so focused on our to-do lists that we forget to take care of ourselves.
So go out and pamper yourself; you deserve it! Schedule time for yourself, so you don’t forget. It is and should always be a priority.
Know Your Limits
You know yourself best. Before things get too hectic, write out your limits, and then stick to them.
Knowing your limits actually will empower you! It’ll help you avoid burnout and keep the happy holiday spirit.
Learn Something New
Because the holidays are so stressful, make sure to do something fun and learn something new. Learning something new helps you to break free from the stress that will eventually come.
Find the right time to go and explore a new hobby. Maybe it’ll turn into some unique homemade gifts or give you a new talent you’ve always wanted.
Volunteer
Giving service helps take burdens off yourself. When you volunteer or help those in need, it brings peace and joy to your heart that you can’t find anywhere else.
There are so many opportunities to volunteer, especially during the holidays. Here are a few ways to volunteer this year:
Toys for Tots
Gift Wrapping
Food Banks
Operation Santa
You can also get the whole family to serve by picking a family friend to do secret Santa to! Not only will this add excitement but ease your stress during this time of year.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is a simple yet crucial habit to keep during the holidays. When everything is planned early on, you can slowly get things done on your list.
Get started on buying or making your Christmas presents extra early, so you aren’t in a rush. Plan out what meals you’ll be making and buy ahead of time.
Getting things done earlier will help ease the stress the week before your holiday as you are already prepared and ready to go! Then you can just enjoy being with family and loved ones.
Family Support
Enlist in the help of others during this time of year. Use all the help you can get. You do not have to do everything alone.
Maybe that’s calling your loved ones for a chat or inviting them to make the meal with you. Do what you need to do so you don’t feel the weight of the holidays all on your shoulders.
Keep Routines Consistent
I know this can be a challenge during the holidays, but it will really make a difference. Stick to your normal schedules as best as possible, especially with your children.
Try to get up and go to bed at relatively the same time each day. Eat your daily meals consistently at the same time and so on. This will help your body keep its stress levels low and consistent with your normal routine.
Meditate and Practice Mindfulness
Meditation and mindfulness are perfect ways to help lower your stress every single day. If you are just beginning, try for just five minutes every day. Then, you can slowly work your way up.
Focus on your breathing and try to tune everything else out. If you have thoughts about things you have to do, simply allow them, and return to focusing on your breath.
There are so many free apps or videos for different guided meditations to try!
Journaling
Journaling is a great way to release our tension and stress healthily. Many types of journals will help lower your stress.
A gratitude journal can help you be happier in your daily life as you focus on the good each day. Record at least one thing you are grateful for each day.
A sleep journal will also be beneficial. Before you go to sleep, write down every thought you have and your every going to-do list. Release all the worries and stress on paper to have a quiet brain to go to sleep.
Simply writing out what you did each day and things that bothered you can also help you release the negative emotions you’ve built up.
Get Enough Sleep
I know it’s hard to get enough sleep without holiday stress, but it is crucial. Sleep and stress correlate very closely. The less sleep you get, the more stress you will have.
Try to go to bed as early as you can. Reduce screen time before sleeping to help your body. Maintain your circadian rhythm as much as possible to help your body naturally rest.
Art Therapy
Creating art is a great (and free) form of therapy! Watercolor, paint, or create just about anything.
As children and adults paint, they will naturally release their emotions as they draw. You can even create your Christmas cards by doing this!
Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is one of the best ways to reduce stress around the holidays. I’m sure this is why we celebrate Thanksgiving right before Christmas.
Ensure you remain grateful each day, no matter how stressful things get. You can share your gratitude in a journal like mentioned above, share it with your family as you sit around the dinner table, or on social media. The options are pretty endless!
Try to do these 14 things as often as possible to help you lower your stress this holiday season! Bring the joy and relaxation back to your holidays!
