5 Ways To Decrease Holiday Stress

We’ve entered the holiday season! This year looks drastically different than the previous years and might bring even more stress for some. This is why I want to share a few tips to help you decrease holiday stress this year.

I hope these tips help you banish holiday stress and enjoy your holidays as much as possible.

5 Ways To Tackle Holiday Stress

1. Set A Spending Limit

Sometimes we can go a little too crazy with our spending during the holiday season, with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and just generally wanting to spoil our loved ones.

It is necessary to set a spending limit for each person you buy for ahead of time, so things don’t get out of hand.

Some of my friends and I have agreed to adjust our spending limits because of COVID, job changes, and uncertainties this year.

It’s a great idea to have these types of conversations with those you love because it will benefit both of you in the long run.

Another great way to do this is to do a White Elephant gift-giving event. I talked about this in my blog post, 3 Ways To Incorporate Self Care Into The Holidays.

2. Make Your Sleep A Priority

Stress can stem from being overly tired. With all the planning, gift wrapping, shopping, cooking, and parties going on, it’s easy to wear yourself out and spread yourself thin.

Adjust your day so that you make time to get a solid 8 hours or more of sleep in. Getting enough sleep affects your mood and energy levels, and the lack of it can contribute to stress, especially during this time of year.

If you’re overtired and, cranky you won’t be able to enjoy, which is the whole purpose of the holiday season.

3. Meal Prep

If you are working long shifts or you’re super busy, it’s still important to fuel your body with healthy foods.

Meal prepping in advance will save you time in the long run and keep you from reaching for something quick and unhealthy or skipping a meal entirely.

4. Be Present

Worrying can actually get in the way of enjoying the holidays. Worrying about money, deadlines, and anything really will keep you from being fully present at the moment with your loved ones.

You won’t be able to take in the festivities and truly enjoy them if you’re stuck in your head worrying about things you can’t do anything about at the moment.

If your mind starts to wander, excuse yourself for a moment, and take some deep breaths to bring yourself back into your body and the present moment.

5. Confide in Others

If you’re feeling stressed or emotional, talking to those you love can be a great way to combat or work through those feelings healthily.

Instead of keeping your emotions bottled up inside of you, confiding in a friend or family member can help you release those emotions and even bounce some ideas off.

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed.

The holidays are a time to connect, relax, and show those you love just how much you love them.

I hope these tips help you decrease your stress so you can spend the holidays enjoying and being enjoyed by those you love.

Let me know what you do to reduce stress during the holiday season in the comments!

Stay tuned every Tuesday at 4PM EST for a new blog post!

Much love & happy holidays,

Cassandra Rosa