Halloween has come and gone, and now it’s officially full swing into the holiday season. And this year’s holidays are shaping up to be a bit more stressful than ones in years past, with supply chain issues and shipping delays. Add on to that the hustle and bustle that come with holiday parties, Black Friday shopping, and endless other tasks, it’s easy to see why the holidays are more a source of stress and anxiety than joy. So today, I thought I would drop some helpful hints to make this season a little happier with five ways to destress during the holidays!
Five Ways to Destress During the Holidays
Make a list and check it twice
Santa isn’t the only one who can benefit from making a list! Between shopping for gifts, mailing holiday cards, and prepping for dinner parties, the number of things to remember can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Personally, I use Google drive to keep my gift shopping list and address book up-to-date, plus it’s easy to access from anywhere with my phone. For those grocery shopping lists, I like to start by writing down on paper what I need for each recipe. Then I go through what I have and mark those ingredients off and that leaves me with what I need to buy. The Out of Milk app helps me keep my shopping on track when I’m at the store. Organization=less stress!
Don’t overbook yourself
While it’s tempting to cross off every holiday bucket list activity in one weekend or hit up all the holiday parties, overextending yourself leads to burnout. Pick one or two light displays to see this year and check those out instead of making the mad dash to sit in line at them all. Rather than going to each neighbors party, maybe see if they want to organize one big block party. Struggling to make things work isn’t on your agenda this season!
Learn that saying no isn’t the end of the world
This goes right in hand with number two! It’s so ingrained in us (especially people pleasers!) to not say no to something. Maybe it’s from a fear that if you decline, you won’t get invited again. Well if that’s the case, then you didn’t need the invite in the first place! There are tons of polite ways to say no to an invite that won’t ruin friendships, but when the push comes to a shove, a firm “no, thank you!” should get the message across.
Take a time out before you think you need one
If you’re like me, the crush of a crowd can get overwhelming. If you lived with it long enough, you start to notice your triggers pretty easily. There’s no shame in excusing yourself outside or finding a quiet spot to have a few minutes to yourself. Even if it’s just ducking into the bathroom to do a couple of rounds of deep breathing to center yourself. Don’t let the noise of the merriment spoil your holiday joy!
Lastly, embrace the calm and do a little self-care
I know, I know, self-care is a term that can feel a little cringy. But the holiday season is the perfect time to figure out what that looks like to you. It can be something as simple as a face mask while vegging out to some TV or as complex as baking a cake to enjoy. While vegging out and watching TV. Meditation is a good choice to calm the chaos and heading out to the nail salon is really knocking two things out at once. Getting those nails done for your company party and having a little you time in one go? Sign me up!
The holidays are supposed to be one of the best times of the year. And with a little planning and foresight, they can be! Do the things that make you feel good, and if there is room leftover, spread the happiness around. You know the saying, sprinkle that shit around like confetti!
I hope these five ways to destress during the holidays help you to make this your best holiday season yet. I have so much more in store on the blog for you these next few weeks! As always, stay in the loop by signing up below to have the latest post delivered straight to your inbox. And you can always find me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and now, Twitter!
