How To: Manage Holiday Stress
The holidays are a joyous time filled with love, laughter and Grandma’s homemade cookies. It’s a time to show appreciation to your loved ones and to help those less fortunate. It’s a time to celebrate another year of blessings and memories.
But with all of this, comes the hustle and bustle that accompanies the holiday season. We feel rushed, stressed, anxious and sometimes lose the true meaning of the holidays. With that, I’ve put together 4 key holiday stressors [based on your feedback!] and ways you can manage each to help keep you focused on the important things this holiday season…and Grandma’s cookies!
MONEY / BUYING GIFTS | money can be a constant stress nearly all year but it seems to heighten for most around the holidays. A lot of this ties in with gifts so I’ve lumped the two together based on your feedback.
Set a budget: I think this is the most important and probably often forgotten step around the holidays. It is important to be absolutely realistic with yourself about how much you have to spend. There is no use in racking up credit card debt getting the fanciest of fancy gifts - that will only cause more stress! Set your budget and stick to it. You can even set budgets with family members so that everyone is on the same page, like all gifts must be $20 or less. Be sure to keep all of your receipts and as an added layer to stick to your budget, keep a tally or spreadsheet of everything you’ve spent so you can see in real time where you stand.
Make a list: write down every person you will be buying a gift for. Then, go through and determine what gift you want to get them or a few ideas you have if you aren’t sure. If you know the price of the item or the value of the gift card you’re planning to get, write that down and asses where you stand within your budget.
Check it twice: Time to put on your Santa hat and check your list twice! Are you extending your gift giving too far? Meaning, do you HAVE to buy for all the people you wrote on your list…or do you WANT to. Maybe there are some people on your list that would be thrilled to just get a holiday/family card from you, and don’t need an elaborate themed gift basket or another poinsettia. Maybe Sally only needs 1 doll instead of 4, or 1 video game instead of 3. Maybe instead of $25 gift cards, you do $20 gift cards. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa would really just like a framed family photo to put on the book shelf or hang on the wall so they can show of their grandkids to everyone.
TIME | just like money, time can be a year round stressor. Some days fly by, some go too slow, summer comes to and end and then all of a sudden the holidays are here and you are scrambling yet again. Here’s some ways to combat that.
Start planning early - aka now: I’ve always been someone who loves lists and calendars so when a busy time like the holidays approaches, I go into extra organized mode! Start by listing out everything you need to get done and when you need it done by. If you know the month of December is a busier time with work and holiday parties, plan to get all of your gift shopping and decorating done by the end of November.
Make a schedule: after you have your list made, make a schedule. I love blocking off times in my calendar for specific tasks - it’s like a meeting with myself and no one cancels on a girl boss! Schedule time for shopping, cleaning, wrapping gifts, cooking - any and everything. It will help keep you on track and feeling less overwhelmed. You’ll most likely focus more during those times knowing you only have say 30 minutes or 1 hour to finish that task.
Ask for help: sometimes our pride gets the best of us but asking for help can work wonders for lowering your stress! Ask the kids to help with chores around the house, ask your family/friends to bring a side dish or dessert, hire a babysitter for an afternoon so you can go shopping or get your errands done. Asking for help is not a bad thing!
Take advantage of online shopping: if getting out to the store or mall is a time eater, take advantage of the ease of online shopping! [especially if you know what items you need]. This could be for gifts or groceries, too! Along with this, monitor sales. Companies send so many emails this time of year with all of their holiday sale offers and also post all over their social channels. This can be helpful to know when to shop to get items on your list at a great savings - and it helps your budget, too!
Set boundaries: sometimes we are so eager to please everyone else that we lose site of ourselves…and our time. We say yes to 3 holiday parties in one night all on opposite sides of town and later realize how impossible it will be to make that happen. It is okay to say no. I repeat, it is okay to say no. It is important to not overextend ourselves — emotionally and/or financially — during the holiday season. Along with this, don’t forget to set aside some time for yourself to go for a walk, read a book, get a manicure. It is a season of giving but we can’t ignore our own well-being.
AWKWARD FAMILY CONVERSATIONS | the time is here…awkward family conversations! They are bound to pop up next week at Thinksgiving and continue throughout the holiday season. Politics will certainly be a topic of conversation I think with everyone, especially coming off of the midterm elections. You’ll also get your typical “you’re still single?!” comments from the usual suspects. Here’s what you can do to avoid the awkwardness.
Prepare a response: this works for one of those blanket statement questions like “You’re still single?! You’re being too picky!” Wear it loud and proud my friends; don’t let anyone dull your sparkle. Being single doesn’t mean you are picky, it means you know what you want [and what you deserve] and that you won’t settle for anything less. Or maybe you are focusing on yourself, your career or your health. You don’t have to defend yourself but having a simple, yet firm, response back will help to keep you cool, calm + collected…and hopefully put a halt to the possibly uncomfortable conversation.
Have an exit plan: now this may or may not work depending on your situation, but have an exit plan. Step away if you can to go refill your drink, get more cookies, check on the food in the oven, check on the kids or to use the restroom. Excuse yourself politely from the conversation, walk away, take a deep breath, and rejoin when you are ready…or when the topic switches.
SOCIAL MEDIA | this one might not be as expected as the other items but social media can add stress around the holidays.
Be in the moment: You may feel the need to post your Thanksgiving setup, you post-Turkey trot with your medal, your Christmas tree, your gifts, the snow - the list goes on and on. It’s important to take a step back and be in the moment; an important thing to remember with social media year round. After taking a 5+ month hiatus from here because of my concussion, I’ve learned how important and special it is to just be in the moment. If you want to post content, wait until the festivities are over. Take some pictures or videos and save them to post at the end of the night once family/friends have left and you’re all cleaned up. Enjoy these special times making memories with your loved ones; the number of likes on the picture of your Thanksgiving setup or Christmas tree don’t provide the value that family and memories do.
And those are my tips + tricks for managing holiday stress! Do you have tactics that work for you around the holidays? If so, share below in the comments so we can all help each other out! :)