As the winter holiday season approaches, this is an eventful time of the year filled with constant festivities. The upcoming weeks are marked by a flurry of activities, from holiday shopping to party planning. While these holiday celebrations can be exciting, they are also potential sources of stress and frustration. With so many events unfolding in rapid succession, the high adrenaline of the winter holidays may feel overwhelming at times.
Every year, many people experience holiday stress due to the responsibilities, deadlines, and expectations around this special occasion. The stress tends to build up gradually, as you juggle between holiday preparations, family gatherings, and the recent COVID-19 restrictions. Navigating through the holidays can be a tricky balancing act, which might produce a lot of stress and put a toll on your mental health.
In the upcoming weeks, it is important that you find ways on how to relieve stress during the holidays. Whenever your schedule seems too overwhelming, take some time to relax, practice self-care, and maintain your holiday cheer. You may also want to contact a counselling service near you for professional guidance.
For a stress-free holiday season, check out these seven best holiday stress management tips and ideas:
Tip #1: Make plans & preparations before the holidays.
The holiday season involves a lot of planning and multitasking. These logistics become more complicated when you include different friends, coworkers, business contacts, and extended relatives into your holiday preparations. As you buy gifts, make party invitations, or send out holiday cards, it can be easy to lose track of your progress. Without a plan in place, your holiday preparations may feel very chaotic and stressful.
A good holiday stress management tip is to make ample preparations ahead of time. Create an agenda of all the holiday activities you have planned, such as shopping, parties, and yearly traditions. For each activity, make checklists of the different tasks that need to be completed, which you can reference later. You should also compile lists of the people involved in these holiday celebrations, including their availability and contact information.
Once you have outlined your winter holiday plans, it will be easier to coordinate and organize your activities in the future. Try to make these plans as early as possible, giving yourself enough time to handle each task comfortably without stress.
Tip #2: Set a budget for your holiday shopping.
For many people, a lot of the holiday stress may come from financial limitations. If you overspend on holiday gifts, the upcoming credit card bill will cause your stress levels to soar. Before you go shopping, calculate your personal finances. Then, establish a budget dedicated to holiday gifts. This budget helps to limit spending and clarify expectations, so that you can stick to a reasonable price range when browsing for gifts.
With COVID-19 impacting work opportunities, you are likely monitoring your finances with some caution. It is understandable that you may have a smaller budget for your holiday shopping this year. If you are concerned about personal finances, scale back on the presents. In a time of economic uncertainty, the gift recipients are going through a similar ordeal and they will be understanding.
Of course, shopping with a limited budget may cause you frustration, especially if you hoped to buy a lavish present to raise morale after a turbulent year. Although sticking to a budget is important, don’t stress over every purchase and strain yourself to make the numbers meet. If a product is out of your price range, look for a more affordable alternative elsewhere or simply buy a different gift.
Tip #3: Use technology to connect with friends & family over the holidays.
The winter holidays are wonderful opportunities for connecting with friends and family. After a long year, this is a great time to catch up with your loved ones on the latest news and any exciting announcements. However, meeting up may not be possible right now, due to the COVID-19 restrictions across some regions. If you had been looking forward to these yearly social gatherings, the current restrictions may dampen your mood.
Nonetheless, you should use technology to connect with your loved ones over the holidays. Virtual meetings are very popular nowadays, allowing you to interact online with many people from your social circles. You might be amazed at how much a video call can effectively boost your holiday spirits. Being able to see a familiar face and hear an affectionate voice will help you to stay positive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tip #4: Don’t stress over social engagements around the holidays.
A frequent cause of holiday stress is when you have overbooked yourself with too many social engagements. Even if meeting in-person might not be available right now, your schedule could still be packed with video calls, phone messages, and virtual hangout requests. After a while, these frequent social engagements may be taxing on your mental health, especially when they constantly disrupt your holiday plans.
Even though you may want to socialize with everyone, give yourself some private time to relax and unwind. Don’t feel pressured into accepting every social engagement that comes your way. Some phone calls can be postponed to a more convenient time, or even after the holidays when your schedule clears up. By reducing the number of social engagements, this is a great way to relieve stress during the holidays.
Tip #5: Set aside differences with your friends & family.
Some of your friends and family members may have different opinions when it comes to politics, religion, or current events. Your conflicting viewpoints may lead to anxiety, stress, or even hostility in the holiday gatherings. If possible, try to set aside your differences during the holiday season. A festive meal with your family, or a video call with a long-distance friend, is not a suitable setting to argue about sensitive topics.
If you have some relatives who never fail to trigger or upset you, try to simply avoid speaking with them. Instead, focus on celebrating the holidays with the people who make you feel happy. This tip will help you to enjoy a stress-free holiday season without any tension or lingering conflicts.
Tip #6: Practice self-care during the holidays.
Don’t forget to take good care of yourself during the holidays! Of course, you can eat delicious foods and pamper yourself with special treats, but don’t abandon all your healthy habits just because of the holiday season. Eat healthy meals and snacks whenever you can. Also, be sure to get plenty of sleep, so that you can wake up each day with a sense of vigour and rejuvenation.
If you are starting to feel any holiday stress, take a break and enjoy a personal activity that you love. You can listen to your favourite songs, read a book, watch a holiday movie, or meditate in a quiet space. Allow yourself to relax for a few minutes until you feel calm and composed again. By practicing self-care during the holidays, you will feel happier and a lot less tense throughout the upcoming weeks.
Tip #7: Accept that the holidays don’t have to be perfect.
Sometimes, we can get so caught up in trying to have the perfect holiday celebrations. We tend to lose ourselves in the little details that won’t matter in the long term. Activities like putting up the holiday decorations and cooking festive family meals are meant to be enjoyable. Don’t push yourself too hard in cleaning up messes immediately or starting over if you make a tiny mistake. Simply relax and try to have fun over the holidays with your loved ones.
If you aren’t in a festive mood around the holidays, do not deny these feelings. Pretending to be cheerful won’t end up making you feel any happier. Instead, reach out to our counselling services, and we can provide expert guidance on how to relieve stress during the holiday season. Your holiday stress can be managed professionally through a counselling service near you.