8 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress in December

1. Planning Ahead: The Key to a Stress-Free December

Planning for December is key, and it’s never too early or too late to get started. Here are some things to think about with the upcoming holidays.

Grab your calendar: Add all your upcoming events to your calendar, including work meetings, rehearsals, parties, outings with friends, date nights, school parties, etc., and have your spouse add them to their calendar as well. This way, you will be on the same page all month long.

Schedule downtime: This may sound weird, but it’s very important. If we don’t schedule downtime in our lives, we risk going and going until there is nothing left. If we don’t relax and recharge, we can’t be at our best. So schedule a bubble bath, an hour with a book, or a massage so you can help take care of yourself.

Set a budget: One of the biggest causes of holiday stress is finances. Take a realistic look at your bank account and decide how much you can spend on the holidays this year. Take stock of everything you will need, from decorations to food and beverages to gifts and beyond. This way, you will be less likely to overspend.

Gift budgeting: Everyone loves to buy gifts at the holidays, but with all the commercialism and societal pressure to buy the ‘perfect’ gift, it can get overwhelming and stressful fast. This is where your gift budget comes in. You’ll know exactly how much you can spend, which will help you focus on finding more meaningful gifts.

Create a gift shopping plan: Start early, use technology by ordering online, look for coupons or discount codes, and take advantage of free shipping when you can within reason. It’s not worth buying something extra just to meet the threshold and get free shipping.

Holiday gatherings: Make a guest list and plan your menu. Look for recipes on budget food blogs, such as The Lazy Dish, Budget Bytes, and Spend with Pennies. These blogs will help you find great recipes on a budget.

Declutter your space: Figure out how you will declutter your space beyond tidying up. Do you need to move a table or add a table to have more room? Or set out some extra chairs? Figuring this out ahead of time will make seating guests much easier.

Make a ‘holiday-ready’ zone: This could be a spare closet or room where you keep decorations, gift supplies like paper, boxes, bows, and tape, and gifts that you buy (as long as the kids won’t snoop). This way, everything will be in one area of your home instead of in various closets.

2. Setting Realistic Expectations: Embrace Imperfection

Embracing imperfection during the holidays is crucial. All the images we see on social media, in commercials, on television, and in movies are not realistic. It only fuels the perfection monster. Holidays are never perfect, and it’s not worth stressing ourselves out to try to make them that way.

Perfectionism leads to several mental health issues, including:

-Increased stress and anxiety

-Fear of failure

-Burnout

-Negative self-perception

How can we combat perfectionism?

Define holiday success on your own terms. If buying just three presents per person, ordering pizza on Christmas Eve, and making what you can ahead of time for Christmas dinner means success to you, that’s great.

Celebrate small wins like getting everything on your grocery list or getting a great deal on a present.

Focus on the process, not the destination: Embrace mistakes and setbacks, view challenges as opportunities, and appreciate the effort you’re making to make the holidays special.

Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself kindly as you would a friend during this hectic season.

Don’t compare and, if possible, stay off social media. The holiday you create is right for you, and that’s all that matters.

Set boundaries and prioritize. Don’t let others talk you into things you can’t or don’t want to do, and make sure you prioritize what’s most important to create a glorious holiday for your friends and family.

3. Relaxation Techniques for the Holidays

Take some time to relax during the holidays. There are many ways you can do this, including:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This involves tensing different muscle groups in your body and then relaxing them. You can start with your toes and then work up the rest of your body.

Nature Walks: Taking a walk in nature is a fantastic way to relax and unwind while breathing in fresh air and enjoying nature.

Warm Baths and Aromatherapy: Draw yourself a bath with some lavender-scented Epsom salts to relax body and mind.

Digital Detox: Stay off social media and cut back on news, movies, and TV that can increase your stress and anxiety.

Me time: Schedule an hour a day for yourself to do something you enjoy.

4. The Importance of Self-Care During Busy Seasons

Prioritizing self-care during the holidays is important and has many benefits, such as:

-Enhanced well-being

-Increased resiliency

-Boosted productivity

-Improved relationships

How do we make self-care a priority during this crazy season?

-Schedule it on our calendar

-Establish boundaries in all areas of our lives

-Practice mindfulness, like deep breathing exercises or yoga

-Nourish our bodies

-Prioritize sleep

-Get plenty of exercise

-Stay connected with family and friends because isolation can lead to increased anxiety and depression.

-Consider therapy. If you’re currently in therapy, make sure you keep going, and if you’re considering it, try it. It may make an enormous difference.

5. Managing Family Dynamics: Tips for Peaceful Gatherings

Family dynamics play a huge role during the holidays, and they can be wonderful and joyous or miserable. Here are some ways to navigate family dynamics this Christmas.

Set Clear Expectations Before the Gathering

Communicate ahead of time what the structure of the gathering will be, what activities you have planned, and ground rules you would like followed, like topics to avoid, behavior norms, and time management.

Create a Welcoming Atmosphere:

Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for your guests by incorporating throw pillows and blankets, cozy candles, soft music, and the delicious scents of the season, such as apple, cinnamon, or pine. Make sure you greet each guest personally and plan activities that encourage interaction, like board games or crafting.

Encourage Communication and Active Listening

Promote healthy family dynamics by allowing everyone to voice their feelings and opinions respectfully and by focusing on active listening.

Family Circles: Create circles of family members together to talk and catch up.

Clarification Questions: Encourage family members to ask questions for clarification if something isn’t clear

Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge family members when they express themselves well or engage meaningfully.

Identify and Address Tensions Ahead of Time

Families will certainly experience tension and conflicts, but they should address these issues before the holidays. Some ways to do this are:

One-on-One Conversations: Have private conversations with members ahead of the event so you can understand their point of view and work out solutions.

Conflict Mediation: If needed, choose a family member to be present during the gathering to mediate between family members if need be.

Focus on Compromise: Encourage family members to focus on compromise rather than winning arguments.

Be Prepared for Conflict

Even after speaking ahead of time, conflict can still arise. You can be prepared by:

• Staying calm
• Redirecting conversations
• Having private conversations if need be

Families can be complicated, but these tips can help you navigate family dynamics more easily.

6. Nourishing Your Body: Healthy Eating Tips for the Holidays

‘Tis the season for treats, unhealthy beverages, and overindulging. Nourishing your body correctly during the holidays is essential to maintaining your mental clarity and energy levels. Some ways to help with this are.

Plan your meals: Plan your meals for the entire month, which will help you cut down on bad foods and ordering takeout in a pinch.

Snack smart: Keep healthy snacks like cheese, fruit, and yogurt on hand.

Balance your plate: Choose more fruits and veggies and fewer carbs and starches.

Smaller portions: Keep your portions small to combat overeating and other digestive issues.

Prioritize nutrient-dense foods: Choose foods like whole foods, lean protein, and whole grains, and make sure you stay hydrated.

Drink more water and fewer sugary drinks.

Slow down when you eat.

Tune in to your hunger cues so you don’t overeat.

Choose healthy substitutions when possible.

Don’t skip meals.

Related: Check out our Health and Wellness page!

7. Saying No: Prioritizing Your Time and Energy

The holiday season can pull us in a thousand different directions, so it’s critical to set boundaries. Sit down and review your calendar right now, and add all the upcoming events you have scheduled. School parties and rehearsals, work parties, date nights with your spouse, gatherings with friends and family, church recitals, etc. Then you will know whether you can take on anything else. If you can add another event or two in the months ahead, great. If not, then don’t be afraid to decline or feel guilty about it.

Why is this important? Setting boundaries helps with the following:

Mental Health Preservation: Boundaries help relieve stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. In a culture that thrives on hustle and selflessness, establishing this limit enables you to prioritize your well-being.

Enhances Relationships: Healthy boundaries with those around you promote respect and understanding. By clarifying expectations, you prevent conflict and misunderstandings.

Boosts Self-Confidence: By setting boundaries and sticking to them, you reinforce your self-esteem. You send a message to others that your needs, feelings, and time are valid and that you deserve respect.

Increases productivity: Setting boundaries in a professional setting helps compartmentalize tasks and time, which leads to greater focus and output from employers and employees.

How do you set boundaries?

-Start with self-reflection to figure out what your needs are.

-Once you know your boundaries, communicate them clearly and assertively to those around you.

-Be consistent. Consistency is key when establishing boundaries, because allowing your boundary to be crossed sends a mixed message to the other person. Stay firm and remind yourself that setting this boundary is for your overall peace.

-Expect resistance and prepare to reaffirm your boundaries clearly, calmly, and firmly.

-Practicing boundaries can be emotionally exhausting, so be sure to practice some self-care to recharge after interactions that test those boundaries.

-Seek professional support if needed.

Creating New Traditions: Focus on What Truly Matters

Take some time to assess which traditions serve your family well and which ones may need to be replaced. By re-evaluating, we open up opportunities to create new traditions. You can decide which traditions to keep and which ones to discard by considering the following.

-Identifying what truly matters

-Reflecting on your values

-Engaging in open dialogue

-Considering the impact of each tradition

Steps for Creating New Traditions

-Celebrate acts of kindness.

-Creating a seasonal ritual

-Embrace cultural diversity: Attend a holiday festival from a different culture

-Eco-friendly traditions: Helping neighbors dispose of their Christmas trees after Christmas.

-Digital Traditions: Always FaceTime with Grandma every Christmas Eve.

Creating new traditions with your family can be fun and bring you even closer together.

8. Staying Close to God: Prayer and Bible Study

Take extra time every day to spend time with the Lord in Bible study and prayer. He is the one we need to run to during this crazy, hectic season to find our comfort and peace.

Managing stress can be challenging, but with these tips, we can enjoy a happy and peaceful holiday.

Related:

Advent: A 4-Week Prayer and Reflection Journal

How to Be Content During the Busiest Season of the Year: A 5-Week Study