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Tips For Holiday Stress - How To Easily Conquer The HolidaysAs we inch towards the holidays, I know we can all use some tips for holiday stress relief.

Doesn’t it seem that as the holidays get closer, our anxiety and stress seem to skyrocket?

If it’s not about the present buying, or the family coming over for dinner, it’s all the other stuff that needs to get done in the meantime.

There’s the decorating, the shopping, the wrapping, the shipping, plus taking time to give back. All the while making sure you stop and enjoy the season (or just sit for a moment in front of your beautifully decorated tree and read a special Christmas book). The list goes on and on.

I’m starting to get stressed just writing about all the things we have ahead!

But what if there was a way to collectively calm some of the stressors that we can to manage and relieve some of the stress that we feel during the holidays. Wouldn’t that be a big help?!

I know it would!

So here are my top relieving holiday stress tips so that you don’t have to walk into the holiday season stressed out.

Because managing holiday stress is so important for your health and your happiness this upcoming holiday season.

With these holiday stress relief tips, you’ll be well on your way to a happy, healthy, and organized end of the year.

Let’s get busy learning these tips for holiday stress relief!

tips for holiday stress

Start A Family Calendar

The holidays just seem to get busier and busier. Either it’s what’s already planned for us as Christmas plays, the must-do trip to see Grandma, or all the fun stuff we plan to pack into the season.

What’s most important is to start organizing it all and get those dates and ideas down on paper – or electronically in an app. Use these tips for holiday stress relievers to create some sanity in your holiday.

Set up a new Google Calendar and name it Christmas and share it with your husband (and kids if they are old enough to use a planner/calendar) so that you’re all on the same page and your family will be organized this year. Because with the holiday season, staying organized is a must!

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Planning Is Key During The Holidays

 

Download these FREE Christmas Prep Cheat Sheets so you get ahead (of the spending) this year.

Start by loading in all the parties and events you typically go to (I enter events on an estimated date based on when I thought it happened last year). Make sure you’re setting up a placeholder for days to decorate, appointments, school plays, cantatas, school days off, the arrival of family, etc.

Just by loading in this information, you’ll have one place to access it so you won’t forget it. Plus everyone that you share the calendar with will be able to access them too.

Now it’s time to plan in some fun. The holidays can get stressful so planning in a day just for baking cookies or spending the night looking at Christmas lights can help you relieve some stress.

Keeping some fun in your holiday will help you to reduce stress, plus you’ll be spending quality time with your family.

tips for holiday stress

Book Those Appointments Early

If you normally get a family photo for the holidays, plan it now! You don’t have to wait closer to Christmas just to get this done.

Not only will it be more stressful closer to Christmas, but you may not be able to book your favorite photographer either.

Don’t forget about those matching outfits too. Leaving that detail to the last minute will definitely add stress. You can almost guarantee that at least one of your kids has outgrown either their pants, shoes and probably that nice shirt you were going to have them wear.

Did you forget about those growing roots of yours? You don’t want those showing in your holiday photos. Book your hair appointment now while there are still available spots at your salon.

Have you gotten your checkup this year? What about your annual teeth cleaning? Don’t wait to make these appointments or there will be none left, and you’ll lose out on those benefits.

Get all these appointments booked while you can, and when you can, so you are not scrambling at the last minute causing more holiday stress.

It’s these holiday stress relief tips that will help you navigate the season without acting like you’re going a little insane.

Don’t forget to add any of those dates in your family’s digital calendar. Staying organized is key for these tips for holiday stress relief to work.

tips for holiday stress

Plan Meals To Save Sanity

I know you know this, but dinner can be a big stressor during the holidays and meal planning can be the stress reliever.

One of the best tips for holiday stress relief is to meal plan!

With everything else that goes on, just knowing what’s for dinner can relieve some stress from your day. If you’ve planned and shopped, then you already know what you’re making, and you already have the items in your freezer, fridge, and pantry.

If you don’t have any old meal plans to work from, simply jot down 15 meals you’ve made this past month and plan to put them on autopilot. Remake them slightly different so you don’t get tired of them.

Realize that you don’t have to make every single part of the meal from scratch, add in some really simple meals like frozen skillet meals, rotisserie chickens, and some frozen pizzas. 

Write it down so you have a list to work from and don’t have it all stuck in your head overwhelming your thoughts during the overbusy season.

Adding a simple rotation of meals can help take the guesswork out of dinner and help you to manage your stress.

Plus, eating out can wreck your budget…you know the money you’ll need to use to pay for gifts or that fun outing to see the special Christmas lights display in your area. You’re already going to have days when it’s impossible to eat at home due to holiday activities. Plan ahead to eat at home when you can so you save the most money you can.

These holiday stress relief tips will be golden when you are in the thick of the holidays.

tips for holiday stress

Share The Burden

If you are in charge of hosting the family gatherings at your house, that doesn’t mean you have to bear the full load of hosting.

Even if you are a control freak about the perfectly prepared dinner, that doesn’t mean that you have to be in charge of the games, guest list, and other hosting responsibilities of the day.

Ask the guests you know are coming to pitch in and help with the duties.

Put someone in charge of the drinks, games, kid activities, decorations, table décor, or even the desserts. Ask someone to come early to help set up and ask another person to help you tear down the extra tables and chairs after the party is done.

That way you share the load, and you can stress less about one more thing.

Then, you can focus on your perfectly prepared dinner. Take a few minutes today to set a date in your calendar (so time doesn’t slip away) when you’ll reach out to family members to lend you a hand this holiday.

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Planning Is Key During The Holidays

 

Download these FREE Christmas Prep Cheat Sheets so you get ahead (of the spending) this year.

stress relief tips

Lighten Your Financial Load

The holidays are expensive. Period.

From the activities to food, travel, presents, and everything else in between.

And saving money is one of the best tips for holiday stress relief.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the amount I spend isn’t a direct correlation of the love I give or have towards someone. And the same is true in reverse.

If you’re worried about your finances this year, ask your loved ones to do things a little differently.

When our family continued to grow and my husband’s sister had 9 kids, while we had four, it was expensive to buy for everyone. Instead, see if you can pick names instead. That means you’ll give 1 person a meaningful gift in which you can spend a little more on them.

If you’re a couple, you could pick 2 people and exchange gifts for them. That way you won’t have to spread your budget really thin over a large number of people.

Try to give experiences, rather than material things.

Do day trips to the beach, geocaching, exploring history, or anything different you think your gift recipient might like. All gifts don’t have to be boxed or wrapped with a bow. Think outside the box for your gifts.

Remember, that quality time is just as valuable with the ones you love.

Also, don’t be pressured into doing it all just because you’ve done it before. You don’t need to do all the activities that cost tons of money as you have done in the past.

The new movies, new Broadway plays, Christmas concerts, major Christmas light shows, will still be there next year.

Just because you have done it in the past, does not mean you have to do it, all the same, this year. Give yourself grace and start new traditions that cost less or find free or cheap activities that are just as great.

stress relief tips

Say No To Busy & Say Yes To Family

I’ve got some startling news for you today: It’s okay to say no. Did you read that correctly? Yes, it’s okay to say no!

“No” to the extra parties and extra events that drag you out of the house out of obligation.

“Sorry, I can’t but [state an alternative]” to the homemade Santa face sugar cookies that your child’s teacher asked you to bring in. Store-bought cookies that will save your time and sanity will be just fine.

“No” to those events that will take you or your kids away from spending valuable time with your own family.

While we have spent more time together this year than ever thanks to the pandemic, did you miss the busyness? I sure didn’t.

Reflect on this year and the time you spent together. The holidays should be a time of togetherness, not busyness.

Running here and there to get the perfect something for someone on our list. And then on to the next store or next party just to show up exhausted is simply not worth it in the long run.

Why does this happen? Because we’ve gotten used to saying yes to others, but no to ourselves and our family time.

It’s time to break the rules and say yes to family time again and yes to yourself! That quality time that we so rarely get should not be wasted this year.

The holidays need to be a time to slow down and reflect on the blessings of the year with tips for holiday stress relief that’ll bring a happier season!

stress relief tips

Simplify

I know several families that go all out for Christmas. They decorate their lawn, roof, and the entire house for Christmas each year.

They decorate every room with a Christmas tree and every inch is decked out with lights, holly, baubles, and trinkets.

Now, if this is your thing and you enjoy every minute of it. By all means, go for it! But, if this stresses you out, like it does me, and makes you fight with your kids and husband over helping (or lack thereof), and it turns into a fight every year…maybe it’s time to simplify.

Your home doesn’t need to be magazine photoshoot ready. You don’t need a tree in every room, and every square inch doesn’t need to be decorated.

Lower your expectations of what you think it should be. If you’re not enjoying the process, then maybe the process isn’t necessary!

BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD

Planning Is Key During The Holidays

 

Download these FREE Christmas Prep Cheat Sheets so you get ahead (of the spending) this year.

Scent can go a long way to making your home feel holiday ready. Light some candles and take a deep breath. Or put on a pot of holiday potpourri and let the scent waft through your house. Play some Christmas tunes to put your senses in the spirit of the season, without decorating every square inch of your home. I promise it won’t ruin anything.

Another thing to simplify is your holiday shopping. If you are buying for several families, can you buy the same gift for each one? Think about giving them a RedBox movie night basket filled with popcorn, toppings and soda that the whole family will enjoy. You could also give a Groupon Gift Certificate that allows them to choose a fun family outing. Giving one gift to a family sure beats buying multiple gifts for each member individually.

Or, you could even pool your money with another relative to buy a larger gift for someone in your family. My sister and I typically go in together for a gift for my Dad, and we take turns choosing the gift each year so that we get a year “off” each year. It’s fun to brainstorm together and then the stress is off for one of us to purchase and wrap the gift for him.

Thinking outside the box to see how you can simplify your gift-giving this year is an important tip for holiday stress relief this year.

If you don’t think you can simplify your holidays, read these extra tips on how to simplify the holiday season. 

stress relief tips

Shop Online For Holiday Stress Relief

Finding the perfect gift can be stressful enough, but then there’s finding a parking spot, rude people, long checkout lines, and of course, the weather. The perfect mixture to add more stress to your holidays.

Want to know my shopping secret and some tips for holiday stress relief? Online shopping.

I don’t have to get in the car, don’t have to fight traffic, and I don’t have to worry about finding a close parking spot near the store entrance because it’s raining (or snowing in your neck of the woods).

Do I worry about germs on the shopping cart? Nope!

I can sit in my jammies with a cup of hot tea and shop until my list is complete. With so much less stress.

Now I realize you might enjoy the hunt, the search, trying and feeling things in person, and even finding the perfect item you never had on your list to begin with.

But, let me tell you, if you really want to contain the crazy this year, shop online and save your sanity.

stress relief tips

Take Time To Relax For Yourself

The best part about saying no to busy is saying yes to yourself and your self-care! It’s about managing holiday stress and taking care of you first. Because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Use your time wisely to take care of yourself. Take a bath, read a devotional or even a new book.

Take time to get outside and enjoy nature, exercise, and take your vitamins. All these things will help you take care of yourself, so you can accomplish your holiday goals and everything on your holiday to-do list with less stress.

I hope you’ve learned from my top relieving holiday stress tips so that you don’t have to walk into the holiday season stressed about the season.

Because managing holiday stress is so important for your health and your happiness this holiday season.

With these holiday stress relief tips, you’ll be well on your way to a happy, healthy, and organized end of the year with your family.

YOUR TURN: What other tips for holiday stress relief have helped you in the past? Share with me below!

Tips For Holiday Stress - How To Easily Conquer The Holidays
Tips For Less Financial Holiday Stress - How To Easily Conquer The Holidays
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