The holidays can be tough. Whether you are with so many friends and family you can’t even think of all of the things you need to do or it has become painfully clear that you don’t have enough “loved” ones in your life, holidays bring stress. It is the reason as a therapist my practice really picks up around the holidays because STRESS (yikes!!!!).
So here are 7 ways to not get so stressed around the holidays…
ONE: DECIDE YOUR PRIORITIES
We all enjoy different things of the holiday season. So I’m not going to sit here and list out what your priorities SHOULD be. Sit down and make a list (short or long) about what is most important to you this holiday season. Is it decorating your house? Is it spending as much time with loved ones as you can? Is it eating ALL the food? Is it getting everyone a super meaningful gift? Whatever it is. Just write it down.
TWO: ORGANIZE YOUR PRIORITIES
Now that you know you priorities, make time for them. Schedule them out. Talk to your friends and family in advance and try to plan some things out. Did you decide food was important? Plan out your thanksgiving meal and host it at your house. Did you decide gifts? Start budgeting and looking NOW. Once again, whatever your priorities are, MAKE TIME FOR THEM. You will automatically feel less stress once you have them somewhat scheduled out.
THREE: BREATHE
The holidays can be extremely overwhelming. It is SOOOOO important to take a few minutes a day to just breathe. Whether you try a mediation or just take a minute and remind yourself to breathe. When we stop to do an exercise like this, we are grounding ourselves. Reminding ourselves of the present moment and identifying through breath that it will be okay.
FOUR: GET OUTSIDE
Winter holidays bring winter season which brings less time outside. Get that vitamin d!!!! Even though it is cold and the sun is hiding, it is still important to get outside. Bundle up and go to a light show, get a tree, go on a thanksgiving day walk. Take time throughout this season to go outside, breathe in the fresh air and soak up some Vitamin D. It is a great excuse to then come back in, light up the fire place, cuddle the dogs (or humans if you’re like that) and drink hot chocolate the rest of the evening.
FIVE: GIVE
Try your best to give, not in just the traditional way. Ever heard of the 5 love languages? (take the free quiz to find out yours!) The basis is that there are 5 ways to show and receive love and that we each have different styles. The classic holiday time love language is gift giving, but that isn’t our only option. Check out the 5 love languages and identify the variety of ways you can show your loved ones you care.
SIX: AND TAKE (TREAT YO SELF)
I feel like in every blog post this should be a bullet point. SELF CARE BABYYYY! The holidays are all about giving… blahblahblah… it is GREAT to give and it feels GREAT. But the holidays can suck you dry if that is all you focus on. To be a good giver, we need to focus on ourselves first, that is therapist insider tip 101. Holidays tend to be stressful because there is a lot going on and a lot of money being spent. Try to schedule out one day a week where you do something nice for yourself. Do a face mask. Get a massage. Buy a new outfit. Watch your favorite holiday movie. Light some candles. Take care of yourself because that is seriously the BIGGEST secret I can give you to ward off some stress. And I do this for a living 🙂
SEVEN: ENGAGE
I don’t just mean get engaged, like proposal engaged, cause we know that’ll all be happening soon. Engage with those around you. Whatever your priorities are, loved ones are important. When we are with them, we need to be WITH THEM. PRESENT your PRESENCE. If you spend your valuable time doing something, focus on it. Practice your mindfulness. You will feel less stressed when you know your time is being spent in productive and meaningful ways.
BABAM! NOW LET’S GO GET SOME PIE, PRESENTS, AND LESS STRESS.
Rachel Cohen, MSW, LCSW is the owner and therapist at Seaside Counseling Center in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Rachel works with lonely, frustrated, and overwhelmed teens and 20 something’s throughout Florida.
*this article is NOT a replacement for professional services*