How to Avoid Holiday Stress & Keep Your Sanity

There’s nothing like the holidays to bring out the stress in all of us. With all the hustle and bustle of Christmas you may feel you’re in an episode of . While you may be tempted not to accept the mission at all getting through the holidays with your sanity intact is possible if you follow these strategies.

Make a List and Check it Twice

Old St. Nick has the right idea. To make sure all your holiday tasks get accomplished sit down and make a list of all the things that need to be done. Include sub lists of gifts you need to purchase, special holiday food items you’ll need and the names of your Christmas card recipients. The more organized you can keep yourself the lesser the chances something will get overlooked - which will just compound your stress.

Now that you have your lists it’s time for some old fashioned delegation. No one is an island and one person in your household shouldn’t be expected to carry out all the family’s Christmas to-do list either. Even young children can get in on the action helping to bake cookies, sticking stamps on envelopes or helping with simple housecleaning duties. Older members of the family can wrap gifts, help with Christmas decorating or tackle those Christmas cards on their own. Many hands make light work so quit trying to do it all yourself and enlist the help of others.

Another option is to look outside the home for holiday help. Friends or other family members will be going through the same holiday chaos you are so team up with them. Offer to watch any younger children for them while they do their Christmas shopping. While you have the kids get them all involved in a Christmas related task such as helping to bake cookies. Bake enough for your family and the family of your friend or relative. Now switch roles and get your shopping done while the other person takes in your children and helps get some of your baking done. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Shop Smart

The purchasing of Christmas gifts can often be a daunting task both financially and mentally. Your first task should be to set a holiday spending budget and stick to it. There’s nothing more stressful than going into serious debt due to wild spending habits so make a solid commitment to stick within your means.

While the children of your household will likely have a Christmas wish list as long as your arm there’s nothing wrong with limiting the amount of presents under the tree. Explain to older children that while an idea list is perfectly fine they shouldn’t expect to unwrap every new toy that’s come onto the market since last Christmas. Kids often don’t have a concept of just how much their wish list costs and those asking for presents from Santa will think those toys are free. Explain to them that even Santa has a limit, whether you choose to use space or budget, and that they’ll have to keep their expectations realistic.

Avoid Playing Family Feud

Often times dealing with family dynamics is the most stressful holiday task of them all. When getting together with family don’t pick those times to bring up or deal with past issues. While some members of your family may drive you crazy take a deep breath and try to let it slide. If there are certain family members that are nearly unbearable it’s usually best to limit the time spent with them. This may mean re-evaluating whether or not you really need to spend every Christmas with them or if you can get away with alternating between them and others whose company you really enjoy.

Take Time for Yourself

Getting ready for the holidays can often feel like you’re on a mad quest to cater to everyone else’s needs. Taking some time for your own needs isn’t selfish - it’s a survival skill. Don’t be afraid to set some time aside just for you. Those who have children can pick an evening and make it a “date night”. You can choose to spend this night anyway you wish whether that means getting a babysitter and having a nice night out or putting the kids to bed early and just spending some quiet time together at home. Whatever you do just be sure you don’t spend that time catching up on holiday tasks. For one night forget Christmas even exists and spend that time relaxing.

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