Even though the holidays may be described as the most wonderful of the year, for many it also comes with plenty of stress. Thereâs nothing wrong with feeling a little added stress during the holidays! Sure, we may look forward to baking cookies or spending time with family, but in addition to the positive side, thereâs also added items on your already busy schedule, potential family tensions that arise, financial circumstances that come up, and the added stress of numerous social gatherings that can all take their toll.
Today, weâre talking about how to handle stress during the holidays with ease. We want to give you a few tips and techniques you can try that will let you enjoy the holidays this year with less stress, anxiety, or negative feelings.
Itâs important to note that stress carries with it an increased risk of developing symptoms of depression. If your feelings may be more than just passing winter blues, please seek medical help right away.
Learning How to Handle Stress During the Holidays
When the holiday hustle and bustle is at its peak, sometimes itâs hard to remember to take a breath and regroup. When it seems like every meal needs to be social media worthy, every holiday gift idea needs to be wrapped to perfection, and every gathering requires your attendance, learning how to relieve stress during the holidays becomes key. In fact, finding methods for how to make the holidays less stressful is a skill set that can do everyone a load of good!
Only one question, though: how?
Check out these tips, habits, and techniques for how to handle stress during the holidays to make this year more relaxing and easier on your mental health:
- Plan ahead as best you can
- Donât be afraid to put yourself first
- Take time for self care
- Stick to your budget for any gifts or events
- Donât abandon healthy habits
Plan Ahead to Help Manage Holiday Stress
When the holidays roll around, suddenly our already-busy schedules become even more packed. Finding time for all your holiday activities can be both tricky and stressful. The first recommendation we have for how to handle stress during the holidays is to plan ahead.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to be organized. Make a daily list of things you need to accomplish and prioritize tasks that are essential. Itâs also helpful to note which items on your to-do list are the least important and can be pushed to another day if you need to do so. Lists are also useful for things like holiday baking. Whether youâre making delicious confections yourself or doing it as a family, having a list of ingredients and recipe steps will help avoid the stress of having to run out for missing items at the last minute.
To take your planning a step further as part of how to relieve stress during the holidays, itâs a good idea to plan your week ahead of time, too. Instead of looking only at the present day or one day ahead, block out times during your week for specific activities. For example, If you know you want to spend time baking, block out a period of time dedicated to that. Need to wrap those gifts? Block off an hour or two to focus on that in order to maximize your effectiveness.
Being organized not only helps with how to make the holidays less stressful, but works all year round, too. In fact, studies have shown that making a plan and organizing your time can boost your productivity and overall happiness!
Donât Be Afraid to Put Yourself First
Another element of learning how to handle stress during the holidays with ease is remembering that itâs okay to put yourself first. Youâll find that once you learn how to say no, your mind may be more at ease.
Yes, we understand that youâd love to make it to every holiday event or participate in every activity, but sometimes thatâs just not feasible. Instead of stressing out over how to fit every single thing into your schedule, simply learn to say no. This also helps when it comes to prioritizing your daily schedule, as well. If you learn how to say no to things that you simply donât have time for (or donât want to do), youâll see how much more time you have available to accomplish the tasks that need doing.
Make Time for Holiday Self Care
Going hand-in-hand with not being afraid to put yourself first is making time for holiday self care. Part of learning how to handle stress during holidays is remembering to take the time to look out for your own well being. There are lots of ways you can make time for holiday self care such as:
- Getting a massage
- Going out to dinner
- Meditating at home
- Taking a nice warm bath
Experts have agreed that getting regular massages can have a positive effect on both your mental and physical health. This is all the more important when learning how to relieve stress during the holidays! If regular massage appointments arenât going to fit into your schedule, consider the benefits of owning a massage chair.
Todayâs luxury massage chairs offer different types of massage programs including shiatsu massage, Thai massage, and deep tissue massage benefits youâll wonder how you ever lived without. You can even find massage chairs with AI technology that deliver a unique experience tailored to your needs each time.
Other massage chair features you might enjoy as part of your self care routine for how to handle stress during the holidays include chromotherapy, zero gravity reclining capabilities, and the benefits of heat therapy. With so many advancements in technology, the difference between using a massage chair vs human massage is a thing of the past.
Avoid Holiday Stress By Sticking to Your Budget
During the excitement and events of the holidays, itâs easy to get caught up in the moment and watch as your budget goes right out the window. Finances are a common cause of stress for many people during this season. As part of your new habits for how to handle stress during the holidays with ease, plan a budget and stick to it.
Itâs important to be realistic about what you can afford to spend without overstretching yourself. In addition to any costs for gifts you may purchase, donât forget to factor in potential additional expenses that might not immediately come to mind such as holiday grocery lists, baking supplies, or even things like wrapping paper and tape. It might sound silly now, but those items can add up very quickly and result in overspending.
Donât Abandon Healthy Habits During the Holidays
Last on our list of tips and habits for how to handle stress during the holidays is to not abandon healthy habits. If youâve worked hard to maintain a healthy weight or get into better shape this past year, donât throw it all away by overdoing it for the entirety of the holidays! While itâs great to indulge, indulge in moderation.
As important as it is to try and maintain healthy eating habits and activities like exercising regularly during the holidays, itâs just as crucial to not beat yourself up over any slip ups you may have. Overindulging one day isnât going to derail your entire diet plan, but holding on to any disappointment in yourself for doing so can increase your stress levels dramatically. When our stress levels rise, weâre more prone to making poor eating choices or further interrupt our usual healthy routine.
Instead of lingering on any moments of overindulgence, acknowledge that it happened and move forward. Practicing moderation as best you can will help with how to make the holidays less stressful.
We hope that this guide has given you plenty of things to think about for how to handle stress during the holidays with ease. Being organized, learning how to say no, taking time for self care like getting a massage, and sticking to healthy habits can all come together to help you manage holiday stress this year. Make the holidays enjoyable and kick stress to the curb!
The benefits of massage therapy at home donât end with how to handle stress during the holidays. Check out the potential health benefits of massage chairs and how it can fit any lifestyle all year long:
