How To Avoid Holiday Stress
The holidays are upon us once again and you may already be feeling holiday stress as preparations must be made almost nonstop! Some people entertain guests and family, while others travel to spend time with friends and family both near and far. Certain others just like to take a few days off from work and enjoy the long holiday weekend. Whatever you choose to do during the holidays, there is always some degree of stress (both good and bad) involved, and knowing how to cope with holiday stress is of paramount importance!
Not everybody recognizes holiday stress when it hits though. While most of us try to enjoy the obligatory holiday gatherings and parties, they can actually add to our feelings of stress during the holidays. Plan ahead to attend only the most important and enjoyable holiday gatherings. Don’t let others’ unreasonable expectations strain your schedule in such a way that you’re unable to take care of other pressing holiday projects and responsibilities.
Most people find the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to be the most stressful of holidays. These are the two times of year in which the most travel is done which requires packing and juggling the kids and time away from work. Seriously, who doesn’t love hours and hours of on-the-road mayhem in a cramped car on the way to visit family during the holidays? This holiday stressor is also avoidable though if proper planning is made. Prepare small snacks for the hungry kids, try to prepare activities for the kids when the get bored and make sure everybody gets ample sleep before the trip. By taking the initiative, you can avoid placing too much of any burden (be it hunger, boredom, or driver’s fatigue) on any one person, which will result in a much more pleasurable drive!
Even if you’re fortunate enough to be able to spend these holidays at home, cooking and decorating are sure to take a chunk of your time as you try to make everything festive and perfect for your family and friends. Avoid perfectionism–this alone will lower your stress level greatly! Focus instead on the meaning of the holiday and quality time spent with family and friends. Forget trying to create a “Martha Stewart” Christmas–just do your best to make things pleasant and festive and be done with it. Most everyone will appreciate your thoughtfulness and effort!
One great way of managing holiday stress, that many people overlook, is to simply plan ahead. If you have shopping to do, do it several weeks in advance to avoid traffic and crowded stores, both of which can cause intense anxiety and pressure on the mind and body. Even better, do your shopping a year ahead of time! Post Christmas holiday sales are everywhere following the holidays and the money you save will be yet another burden off your shoulders!
Unfortunately, hectic holiday preparations are not the only source of holiday stress. A sad truth is that most of us have to deal with family members or friends that are difficult, if not impossible, to be around during holidays, and this is yet another source of holiday stress. Whether it’s the argumentative sibling, the critical parent, or the impossible-to-please child, each instance must be handled differently. One way to handle these “problem-people” is to avoid reacting to their behaviour and keep disagreements to a minimum; give in just a little to avoid conflict, and everybody else will most likely notice your efforts and chip in. Just as one sour apple can ruin the whole batch, so can one sweet apple make the whole batch better again!
Coping with holiday stress and enjoying your holidays is very do-able with a little planning and a positive attitude!
