While most people remember the holidays for the food piled on their plates and the time spent with friends and family, sometimes it can feel like the stress piles on top of you instead.
The holidays can be a great time to spend with family and friends, but they also bring a lot of stress with them. Whether it’s pressure to live up to the high expectations we set for ourselves or conflicts with time and money, the holidays can quickly turn from a winter wonderland into a nightmare.
Luckily, I have several different ways that will let you kick back and relax this holiday season.
Time
Finding ways to manage your time can be tricky during the holiday season due to all the commitments we feel we have to make with friends, family or even work celebrations.
A great way to mitigate this stress is to plan ahead of time so that there’s no pressure to make commitments at the last minute when there’s no time to fulfill them.
Another great way to manage time during the holidays is to be willing to say ‘no.’ While it can be difficult, letting people know ahead of time that you aren’t able to make commitments eliminates stress to make various events but also mitigates stress for everyone else.
Budgeting
In addition to managing your time appropriately, budgeting ahead of time will make the holidays more enjoyable.
Especially as college students, I know there’s extra stress to get Christmas gifts when many of our budgets are tight as is. Planning your budget ahead of time helps you know how much you have to spend and eliminates the surprise from last-minute spending.
There are several different ways to plan your budget ahead of time during the holidays. Making a list of all the people you have to shop allows you to plan for how much you will have to spend. Planning ahead of time also allows you to look for bargains during sales like Black Friday, which can help save money.
Positive habits
Along with the added stress to time and our wallets, the holidays can also throw off our normal routines.
This is often a great break from things such as school or work, but it can also disrupt positive habits such as exercise and healthy eating.
Finding time to continue those habits will not only help keep the pounds off but also allow us to feel a sense of accomplishment and normalcy.
I have a tradition of working out with my family on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it not only helps us feel better the rest of the day but also helps us get along better.
Respect differences
While the holidays are a great time to gather with friends and family, there can also be stress about the possibility of disagreements between family members.
Many of us dread the tense political conversations over the dinner table at Thanksgiving, so it’s important to respect differences to avoid those tense moments.
Another way to avoid those uncomfortable moments, especially coming off an election, is finding ways to redirect the conversation or leave it entirely. Setting ground rules ahead of time or trying to think positively can help make the holidays more enjoyable for everyone.
When uncomfortable conversations do happen, there are several ways to ensure it doesn’t ruin the holiday. Assuming the best intentions, looking for things in common and taking the time to listen are all great tips to ensure that everyone can feel comfortable at the dinner table.
Set expectations
Many of us have preconceived notions of what the holidays should look like, which can lead to disappointment due to the overall chaos of the holiday season.
Setting realistic expectations with yourself can help manage the stress of when things don’t go as planned. It can also make those situations more positive and make them memorable for the future.
Living in the moment helps to avoid disappointment when plans inevitably change or fall through, especially when making plans with friends and family.
The holidays can feel overwhelming at times, but there are ways to make them more manageable and enjoyable. While it is not possible to remove all the stress from holidays, that is part of what makes them enjoyable and memorable in the first place.
