The holidays are meant to be a time for making cherished memories with loved ones and finding moments of relaxation. However, for many, the season can also bring overwhelming stress. Financial pressures, complex family dynamics, and the constant demands of social events can easily drain your energy, leaving you feeling frazzled rather than festive. Instead of letting these stressors take over, there are effective ways to manage your holiday anxiety and regain control. By adopting helpful strategies and routines, you can reduce stress and truly enjoy this time of year.
Strategies to keep the calm this holiday season
Time Alone/Self-care
Taking care of your mental health is extremely important and that may include needing alone time. Setting some time for yourself and practicing self-care can help you recuperate and reset your social battery.
An example of this is, heading to bed earlier than you might normally so you can have extra time alone and pampering yourself before you turn in. Or waking up early and going for a walk alone.
Budget Management
One of the biggest stressors during the holiday season is spending money on gifts. To avoid this stressor, create a realistic cap on how much you will spend on gifts, and maybe even try less traditional forms of gift-giving. This could be creating experiences for your loved ones as a gift or home-making personalized gifts.
Realistic goals
You may have the image of a picture-perfect holiday, but the reality is striving for “perfect” leads to more stress and a less-than-perfect holiday experience. Understanding what is realistic can help you enjoy your holiday more, decrease your stress, and lead to a better experience for your guests.
An example may be instead of doing all the cooking alone, have a potluck so you can focus on other aspects of holiday prep or enjoy your company rather than stressing about a whole meal.
Set Boundaries
One major source of holiday stress is dealing with family members you may not see often and that you may not be compatible with emotionally or socially. This may lead to boundary-breaking leading to more stress escalating into an argument. This can be mitigated by setting boundaries at the beginning of the holiday season and sticking with them. Setting these boundaries can include limiting how much time certain relatives spend at your place or establishing certain topics as off-limits to keep the atmosphere calm and enjoyable.
Therapy
Even with these tips, you may find the holiday season to be overwhelming and difficult to get through. Attending therapy and discussing with a professional personalized way to handle your stress.
The Holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful, and following these tips can help you decrease any stress you may be feeling. However, for many the most useful step would be attending therapy, as talking through your stress and issues is essential to finding healthy ways to break unhelpful patterns. If you need to reach out to a professional, Lifecare Wellness Counseling can help you with an empathetic therapist experienced at helping clients navigate stress, family issues, and anxiety.
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