It’s beginning to feel a lot like … a super stressful and demanding holiday season.
It’s that time of year. Even though it seems to start earlier and earlier each year, the real holiday stress takes hold right around Thanksgiving and doesn’t ease up until the New Year. With this frenzy comes the very familiar holiday season demands: gift-giving, office holiday parties, decorating, Christmas cards, and family dynamics.
All of these factors take a serious toll on our mental (and often physical) health. Some common symptoms can include: anxiety, stress, weight gain, and strained relationships, which is not an ideal way to spend your precious days off.
Never fear! We’ve got you covered. Here are five very simple ways you can manage your stress, eliminate demands and practice much needed self-care this holiday season.
1: Let it go
Just like in the movie. One of the biggest stress points during the holidays is this idea that things have to be perfect: decorations needs to be Pinterest-worthy, you send holiday cards to friends and family, you’re taking in all the holiday fun there is out there, and in your down time you’re drinking cocoa by the fire while listening to Bing. The only problem is this isn’t reality. The truth is most folks don’t have the time or means to tick off all these holiday musts – and you know what? That’s a-okay. Feel like skipping the decorations and curling up with a book? Go for it! Want to ditch the Christmas cards in lieu of an email? Perfect. The point is to focus on what you want to invest in rather than the Hallmark holiday movie standard we’ve come to know. You’ll be much happier you did.
2: Strive for moderation
The days are shorter, treats seems to pop up in the office weekly, and it feels like every evening there’s some event or party. While indulging is part of the season, more sugar and fats can lead to feeling tired and irritable. Keeping a hold on what we’re putting into our bodies can help with stress, weight gain, and our overall mindset. When faced with this situation, one thing you can ask yourself is, “is it worth it?” Meaning is it worth the calories? Will you be happier after you’ve indulged this time? There are plenty of treats around this time of year, but not all of it quality. If the answer is yes, then indulge mindfully, but resist unconscious indulgences.
3: Get moving
One of the best ways to practice holiday self-care is to get some blood flow going. And better yet? It’s free! Take the dog for a hike, walk a neighborhood with great Christmas lights, take a spin class, try hot yoga, workout at home, or take your kids to the park. Working out and blood flow helps with stress, anxiety, and builds momentum for other positive choices. It’s a win-win!
4: Set a budget
This is easier said than done, but if you do it and stick to it, you’ll be so much happier, your future self will thank you, and honestly, a lot of friends and family will be thankful too. Gift giving has become such a weird sport. It’s such a wonderful thing to gift something special to a loved one – no denying that. However, it’s a slippery slope when your list has grown to include more people than you originally planned, you feel like you might be receiving additional gifts, or you find something you absolutely love for someone after you’ve made a few purchases already for them. It’s hard! And it’s hard to know where to draw the line. But if you’re diligent, you can reign it in. Some ways to do this are: setting a hard-and-fast budget per person, initiating a Secret Santa with your family or office, going DIY, donating to a charity, or simply agreeing to not give any gifts. If you consider the savings (mental, monetary, etc.), it sounds better and better.
5: Practice acceptance
None of us are perfect – including our families. We all have family dynamics that can create stress and anxiety leading up to and during the holidays. Spending time mentally and emotionally preparing can help put you in the driver’s seat and feel more prepared for spending time together. Before a family event takes place that’s causing anxiety, spend time working through these action items …
Set expectations
. What do you reasonably believe will happen? What’s a typical pattern of behavior this person exhibits or that you exhibit around this person? How do your encounters usually end? Setting expectations with yourself helps alleviate negative emotional reactions you may experience simply because you saw it coming.
Identify what you can change (and what you can’t)
You can’t will others to do what you want or change their thinking. There are going to be people who will not grow with you or that were only meant to be in your life for a season. Reviewing what you can and can’t change helps you gain acceptance and helps you better focus your energy.
Identify your goals
What do you want to get out of this encounter? How do you want to feel from it? How do you want to feel a week later after it’s over? Outlining your own goals will help you be less reactive and emotional if things start to head south. It keeps us from dipping down into our base lizard brains, and keeps us from saying or doing things we may regret later.
Have a plan.
Planning a response or exit strategy is key. When all else fails, you’ve mapped out how to reply or how to bow out gracefully.
The bottom line is that in this midst of holiday hustle and bustle, it’s easy to be taken along for a ride, but with a little proactive self-care, you can slow down, enjoy the season, and come out a happier and healthier you on the other side.
