Tips for Reducing Holiday-Induced Stress

By Michele Blandino

With the holiday season just around the corner, many of us will find ourselves with endless lists of things to accomplish: shopping, baking, decorating, getting holiday greetings in the mail and visiting family and friends are just a few of the things that will consume the next several weeks.

With so much to do in so little time, the strain on both our time and energy can become overwhelming and quickly sap us of our holiday spirit.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to keep stress levels at a manageable level this holiday season. Here are some ideas:

• Prioritize. Decide what the most important aspects of the holiday season are to you and focus on those. For example, if buying meaningful gifts for those on your list is what matters most, then devote the majority of your time and attention to your shopping. If, on the other hand, the religious significance of the season is important to you, be sure to set aside enough time to worship in a meaningful way. The point is, you need to allow yourself at least some time to focus on what matters most to you. If you are successful in doing this, chances are the remainder of the tasks and obligations that are part of the season will seem far less overwhelming.
• Be Reasonable. With so much to accomplish, it’s easy to see how many people can overestimate their ability to get things done and then become frustrated and overwhelmed when there are still so many things still to do as the holidays draw closer. The best way to avoid this is to be reasonable when assessing what you can get done in a give day. For instance, if you wake up on Saturday morning and tell yourself that by the day’s end you are going to wrap all your gifts, address and mail 100 cards, decorate your home and bake dozens of cookies, it’s a safe bet that by Saturday evening, many of these tasks will still not be done. Rather than set yourself up for certain failure, tell yourself that you will accomplish one of these tasks and then pick the one that you would most like to accomplish.
• Start Early. There are some people who insist that they thrive on the pressure of trying to accomplish everything at the last minute. However, the fact is that this pressure comes at a price and it is usually at the expense of your well-being. While it may go against your sense of tradition, consider getting an early start with your preparations. Chances are you will find that once most of the work is out of the way, you will be able to enjoy the holidays a little more.

Finally, although it may be difficult, try to keep to your normal routine as much as possible, especially if you have small children. Maintaining regular meal and bedtime routines will help to prevent meltdowns while increasing the likelihood that you and your family will get through the holiday season relatively healthily.