The holidays can be stressful. Between family get-togethers, making time to see your closest friends, shopping, decorating, cooking and more—you may just want to crawl under your covers and never come out!
Here are five of the most common stress causes and how you can deal with them this holiday season.
Figuring Out What You Want
It can be hard to identify your desires during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, so take time for yourself.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What are my passions?
- What do I want to get out of the holiday season?
- What excites me about the holidays?
Think about what you want, not what others want for you. Having trouble with this exercise? Remember past holidays. What made you happy?These memories will help guide your decisions. You’ll avoid unnecessary stress and resentment over spending energy on things that don’t really matter to you this holiday season.
Money
One of the top five sources of stress during the holidays is money related. Whether it’s cutting back on spending, tightening your budget or being able to buy gifts for loved ones, finances are a common source of holiday stress. Here are some tips for taking control of your finances this season:
- Set a realistic budget. Stick to it by cutting back on unnecessary expenses like going out to eat too often.
- Be creative when choosing gifts for loved ones. You can find very nice items that probably cost less than you would think. Ask friends and family members if there are charities they would like you to donate to in their name. Remember that it’s more about the gesture than the amount of money you spend!
- Keep track of your daily spending to see where your money is going. You’ll be better prepared for the holidays by knowing how much you spend each month.
Dealing With Family
One of the most common holiday stressors is dealing with family. There are a few ways to cope. Try setting boundaries or, if it’s really bad, try not to spend time with your family at all.
If you have no choice but to spend time with them, it might be best to take care of yourself in advance by preparing for their behavior ahead of time.
Being Unprepared
The most common cause of stress during the holidays is being unprepared. List everything you need to do, who you need to see, what you need to buy and when you need it. Remember that your list should include food shopping, cleaning your house, washing clothes, wrapping gifts, everything.
Don’t forget about stocking up on things like milk, eggs, bread and toilet paper! If this seems like more than you can handle alone recruit some help! Ask family and/or friends to come over and lend a hand. Make it a little get together, as long as it doesn’t add to your stress!
Having Unrealistic Expectations
One of the most common sources of holiday stress is unrealistic expectations. It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of gift-giving, cooking, parties and all the other tasks and events that come up this time of year.
But it’s important not to feel pressured into doing more than you can handle or buying more gifts than you can afford. If you feel stressed, take a step back and ask yourself if any of these issues are causing you undue worry. If so, take action by following these simple tips for dealing with each one:
- Unrealistic expectations: You might be expecting too much from yourself or others this holiday season. Remember that there’s no such thing as the perfect Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hannukah/Boxing Day/Kwanzaa. The holidays are meant for enjoying quality time with friends and family, not stressing about finishing every last errand on your list. Planning ahead for your upcoming tasks will help but let it go if you’re not able to complete every single one.
- Too many commitments: The holidays present us with mmany opportunities to celebrate but it’s important not to over-commit so we don’t end up burnt out before we reach New Year’s Eve!
