Creating A Stress-Free Holiday Season

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The holiday season can become stressful and unmanageable if you try to do everything and to create the “perfect” holiday season. If you are like me, it is hard not to get caught up with various TV commercials, radio ads, and social media images. After scrolling through my Instagram feed or Facebook feed I feel like I am failing at creating a holiday environment that is Instagram-worthy.

The more holiday seasons I celebrate, I have come to realize that the conditions of your house or the amount of food is not nearly as important as the people you are with and the quality time you get to spend with those who are closest to you. If you want to avoid the craziness of the season and have a holiday that you will remember for years to come, here are five ways to make the season a little more meaningful.

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1) Simplify

One year I went over to a friend’s house and they did not even have a tree or lights up. I was kind of shocked but they said it was too stressful to put everything up and would distract from enjoying one another. I was impressed by this and really made me think of how I could make the holidays more special.

A lot of my friends will do different things to make the holiday less crazy. One friend insists on having indoor prelit Christmas trees while another one has tacos with their family. There isn’t one method that works for everyone so experiment so you know what works for you!

2) Slow down

You have seen that family out and about during the holiday season, or maybe you have even been that family. They are seen rushing around through every store with their long list of stuff to accomplish. One of the kids (or several of them) are probably tired of crying and just wants to go home.

Take a moment to just relax and let things be. Do not try to force the perfect holiday season on others. You do not have to sit on Santa’s lap, do a sleigh ride, go to every party, and have time to make a fabulous dinner. All of these things are good but if it stresses you and your family out it probably is not worth it. Slow down and take some time to do one or two things that you will enjoy without stressing out everyone around you.

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3) Focus on the important stuff

There are one thousand and five things coming from you anywhere you look. So put your blinders on and take some time to focus on what you want. Maybe you just want to spend some time with your family or your loved ones. If you do not get along with your family maybe you just want to spend a nice quiet evening enjoying the snow and driving around to see all the lights. Whatever you decide make sure it is meaningful to you.

4) Stay healthy

There is a reason why people gain weight during the holiday season. Think about it for a moment, everyone is stressed and eating a bunch of food. It is completely normal for parents to be exhausted and even grumpy on Christmas day because they have tried so hard to get everything done.

Your children will not necessarily remember if everything was perfect or if the decorations were “just right”. What they will remember is their parents’ attitudes and if they were happy or not. If the stress is becoming overwhelming, check out some virtual therapy apps to get the help you need in an easy, convenient way. You need to take some time and take care of yourself and make sure you are healthy.

5) Relax

Yes, relax. If you live somewhere where it snows it is probably freezing outside. You have probably worked a lot of hours this year and may have taken up a second job to provide a Christmas for your family. So just relax. You cannot control everything that happens around you. Take some time to wind down. This may be something as fancy as spending a day at the spa or something as simple taking a shower at the end of the day.

How do you make the holiday season meaningful? Share with a friend or comment below.