How to Minimize Stress and Enjoy the Holiday Season
Christmas is traditionally a time of the year involving a great amount of thought, energy and planning. There are many things to consider. Remembering to buy gifts for everyone, to budget well to avoid financial disaster following the holidays, and to deal with any feelings of sadness that might be related to the loss of important people in your life or strained family relationships can be a lot for a person to handle. All of these stresses coupled with the longing to live up to societal expectations that imply that the holidays are only happy when they are related to materialism can create a situation that can be quite toxic.
How can you not only survive the holidays, but also reduce stress and anxiety and have a meaningful experience with the Christmas season? After all, this should be your goal every year and discovering ways to do this can build many years of wonderful memories for you and your family.
With the hustle and bustle of the season, it can be overwhelming to shop with the crowds and stand in long lines. Finding the perfect gifts can also be stressful and time-consuming. You can alleviate these factors by shopping early, using layaway services offered by many stores, and doing some of your shopping online. Recognize that it is the thought that counts and not the price tag of the item you’re giving and this will lessen some of the stress you might be experiencing.
If money is tight this year, you may also suggest to your close family that you all participate in a name drawing to purchase only one gift for the person whose name you picked. Some families would appreciate this idea if money is an issue for many. If you’re a crafty kind of person, you may also consider making some of the gifts yourself, if this would be an enjoyable activity for you. Letting go of the idea that a lot of money has to be spent to enjoy the holidays will help you de-stress.
On the flip side, if money is not an issue for your family this year and you still want to have an elaborately planned holiday, you might consider hiring a personal assistant to help you with some of your tasks. You can hire someone to clean your house, help with decorations, babysit your children, or do some of the errands, such as picking up layaway items and gift wrapping. You might be able to negotiate very good rates with prospective help, since everyone is trying to make money to help with holiday bills.
Christmas can be a beautiful experience, if you take the time to determine exactly what you want your holiday to be like. Focusing on the spiritual aspect of the season and taking time to volunteer to make other people’s holidays better, such as the disadvantaged families who will likely have few gifts to give their own children, will make you feel good inside. Find what you enjoy about the season and focus on those things. Try to go with the flow and reduce your own expectations. This can lead to many years of happy holiday seasons and great memories.