How to Avoid Holiday Stress

The holiday season is supposed to be full of joy, cheer, and laughter shared with loved ones. But sometimes all this extra time spent preparing, decorating, planning, parties, shopping, baking and being around so much family can cause a lot of stress for some, robbing them of the joy of the holidays. Don’t let stress ruin the magic of the season for you and those around you.

Instructions

Step1

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate (recipe in resources) Amidst all that stuffing and basting, wrapping and taping, take time to relax and revitalize or else you may be setting yourself up to become a stress case. Avoid holiday stress by making up a nice warm cup of hot cocoa, perhaps with a dash of peppermint schnapps or a mini candy cane for a pepperminty pick-me up and indulge in a magazine that is not a Christmas gift catalog! Even if you are busy all day long running errands, taking care of kids, working your job, take a moment at the end of the night when everyone else is in bed to savor a moment for yourself.

Step2

Let go of offenses of the past. Carrying old hurt or offended feelings around with you will make it harder to feel the Christmas Spirit. When you hold onto things of the past, it is more of a punishment to yourself than to the person who wronged you. Make this year the year to forgive. You don’t have to tell that person you forgive them if you don’t want to, but decide that you are going to no longer hold whatever it is against them. Forgiving others lifts a negative burden from your shoulders, allowing you to be happier, more positive and less stressed! Avoiding holiday stress starts with the condition of your heart!

Step3

As a gift to yourself, do something that makes you really happy this holiday season. Is it reading a book cover to cover? Visiting a special friend? Buying yourself a new purse? Getting a massage or some other kind of pampering? Figure out what your gift to yourself is, and then give it early! This way, you can fill yourself up, leaving you more able to give of yourself as the craziness of the holiday season takes over. Perhaps planning an all day at home spa day is just the ticket you need to a stress free holiday season!

Step4

Avoid stress from holiday overload by saying “no” or canceling things from your calendar when needed. It’s easy to get excited with all the different projects, volunteer opportunities, parties and events going on during the holidays, but sometimes, enough is enough. Prioritize which events are most important for you to attend and then cancel the ones that are least important. Did you overextend yourself on volunteer activities? Figure out which ones best fit into your schedule without throwing you off too much and then see if someone else can cover your spot, or let the group know as far ahead in as advance that you are unable to contribute this time. The holidays are really supposed to be about enjoying each other, but how can we do that if we are too busy?

Step5

Once you have canceled excessive activities and commitments, plan some fun things to do with the ones that you love! There's no better way to avoid stress then by having FUN! Go ice skating or sledding. Have a snowball fight and then make snow angels when you are tired of running around. Watch classic Christmas movies or play fun games like Cranium and Catch Phrase. Go skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or ride snowmobiles! Whatever, you do, just make sure it is something fun that you and your loved ones will enjoy together and create lasting memories.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid going to the mall on the weekends! Shop during weekday mornings when the mall opens if possible!
• Get your shopping done as far in advance as possible
• Plan a budget for your holiday spending to avoid stressing over finances during this happy time of year.

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