6 Ways to Cope with Holiday Stress

The holidays are supposed to be enjoyable, fun, and relaxing. But with ideas of perfection and worrying about everyone else, it’s easy to give in to stress. And holiday stress is nearly inevitable. Our families and even friends have different expectations of how to celebrate, how you should celebrate, and how to constantly be on your phone asking a million questions:

Did you remember to buy a present for Aunt Suzie?

What time is dinner?

Why do you believe in fundamental human rights?

Why did you book a hotel, you know you can stay here?

So here are some tips on how to cope with the stress of the holidays:

• Be mindful of your own needs

It might be the season of giving, but you can’t forget about yourself. You have needs and you should still tend to them. Neglecting yourself will only worsen the stress. Grab a hot drink, take some quiet time, sleep. You know what you need.

• You can’t please everyone.

The holidays won’t be perfect for everyone because everyone has their ideas of what the perfect holiday even is. Going out of your way to please every single person will only drain your energy. Perk up and do what you can and want to do. Whoever doesn’t like it can shush their mouth because it’s the holidays, and they shouldn’t be this negative anyway.

• Give yourself personal time.

Visiting family, friends, maybe even volunteering can be extremely draining, especially for those introverts out there. Take some quiet, peaceful time for yourself as well. You can give your time and energy, but don’t forget to recharge. Without a reset, you won’t be giving the best you can anyway. So relax a little. Then you can get back to that holiday grind. Nobody likes a grump around the holidays.

• Write it all down.

Whether it be making to-do lists or a feelings journal, write down what you need to. Helping organize your tasks or thoughts could majorly help you feel more put together. Also, seeing all your tasks laid out before you can help you tackle all your activities and events more effectively and efficiently. Seeing all your feelings might help you see how you can go about easing them, and the simple act of writing them out is also a form of release so it’s a win-win there.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

There is nothing wrong with asking someone to help you set up your dinner party or asking for everyone to bring a dish or dessert. It’s the holidays; the burden should not fall on one person. It’s about sharing, giving, and caring. So hustle up some volunteers.

• Exercise.

Time old tip. But really, do some easy calming stretches or an intensive workout to release all that pent-up energy you have. Family can be stressful and you can’t always get into petty arguments while they are staying with you or you are staying with them. So take a kickboxing class and release it all, girl. Release.

Does anyone else have any tips on how to deal with holiday stress? Share in the comments or tweet me @rerenascence using the #LessStressedHolidays