5 Ways to Make Christmas less Stressful
If you are like me, the holidays can get busy very quickly and responsibilities can pile up fast. I’ve found that the better prepared I am BEFORE the busy season of Christmas starts, the more calm I feel during the holidays. Coming into the season prepared, helps me to actually be able to enjoy it.
Here are 5 ways to make Christmas less stressful:
1) Make To-Do Lists
This may seem like a no-brainer but to-do lists are A MUST. You can’t organize everything that needs to get done unless you start by having it written down—this is absolutely the starting point. If this isn’t done it’s far too easy to forget something important and then not realize what you have forgotten until it is too late.
Make several to-do lists—one for every category that can bring overwhelm during the holidays. Some examples are: gifts ,travel, entertaining, food, extracurricular activities, work. Some of these categories may need sub categories (gifts: kids, extended family, neighbors, etc.)
Keep to-do lists on your phone in an easily editable and accessible area. This way you can make changes or just refer to it anytime you need to, wherever you are.
2) Say NO!
Some things might work great for other people and still not be right for you. Resist the urge to look sideways and make decisions based on what other people are doing. Get clear on what your intentions and priorities are for the holidays and then STICK TO THEM. There are a lot of options and you need to focus on what works best for you and your family. It is absolutely okay to say no to certain invitations, or gifts or even service opportunities. There is only so much time in a season and you DO NOT need to do it all.
3) BUDGET
This is a crucial one. It is so easy to get swept up in the business of daily life and forget to take the time to set up a budget AND adhere to it. Overspending can cause so much stress. I know from personal experience that going through the holidays on a tight budget can be stressful. It might feel easier to forget about the numbers and deal with that at a later date but, TRUST ME, looking at the numbers, whatever they are, will help you; when you have a handle on how much you are working with, you can better prioritize what are needs and wants are and go from there.
Like with to-do lists, make sure you keep your budget in an easily accessible area. If you don’t have a budgeting app, you can use google spreadsheets or notes on your phone. I like using google spreadsheets because I can access it on my google drive from my phone or laptop.
There is something very satisfying about setting a budget and sticking to it. Feel the joy!
4) Prioritize Positive Influences
The holidays can, at times, bring with it uncomfortable situations. Is there a certain event or family gathering that is causing you stress just thinking about it? If it is a situation that can and should be avoided, then remove yourself from that event and don’t feel guilty about doing something good for yourself. If it is an event or gathering that can’t be avoided than have a mental game plan ahead of time to make you feel more comfortable there.
Think about what would be helpful in that situation and come prepared. If you would feel better if a friend or loved one was by your side, ask them to come along. If there is a certain person you are dreading to see, limit your time in those situations: if a certain person makes you feel negative emotions have a few planned words to express how you feel clearly, and if that isn’t respected, limit your time with those people.
Set just as clear boundaries with your online influences as you do in your day-to-day life. If every time you get on social media you walk away feeling sad or depressed, you are not following the right people. If you are experiencing negative emotions every time you see a certain feed, STOP FOLLOWING THEM. Just like you go through your email from time to time to delete junk mail, you need to do the same thing with people you follow on social media. I regularly do this and I love that now when I do get on, which is honestly pretty rare because I hate the feeling of wasting time on there, my feed is full of positive content. If you want to stop following people but don’t want to hurt their feelings, because they are a friend, you can mute them on instagram without them knowing it.
5)Practice Gratitude
A great way to fight the feeling of overwhelm, is to make a DAILY habit of taking time to reflect on what you are thankful for. A recent Berkley study about the effects of gratitude on mental health found that, “GRATITUDE UNSHACKLES US FROM TOXIC EMOTIONS”. (you can find more on that study here https://bit.ly/greatergood34)
It is helpful to not compare yourself to other people; this is true always but can be especially challenging at this time of year. If you feel inferior looking at other people then STOP looking in that direction.
Do you have people who love you? Do you have people you love? Appreciate those gifts. Be grateful for what you do have and happiness will follow, even if it is slow going at first.
I wish you the best of luck these holidays.