How to Stay Sane During the Holidays

It’s the most joyous season of the year, right? Right! But, with that joy comes added stress oftentimes associated with Christmas shopping, dealing with family, and just the overall chaos associated with the holiday season. Although it’s normal to feel additional stress during this time there are ways to help minimize it and help you maintain some level of sanity.

Enjoy the holidays a little bit more this Holiday season with these tips on how to stay sane!

Write it all down.

I’m notorious for forgetting things I need to do or get during the holidays. Lets be honest, I’m a mom of two small children, I work full-time, plus have a few side hustles, so I’m busy! I’ve made it easier on myself by writing things down. I start with a Christmas list. I write down every name I have to shop for along with a few ideas and then once I start purchasing items for them, I write it under their name. Once they’re done, I put a big check-mark next to their name. I do the same thing with food and drinks that have to be purchased for the holiday gatherings. This will make your life 10x easier.

“Perfect” simply does not exist.

I’m a type “A” personality, so trust me when I say I understand the struggle on everything having to be perfect, but one of the things I just had to let go of was that concept of perfection. Simply put, it does not exist. Stop holding yourself, your holiday shopping and gatherings to such high expectations. This takes the joy out of this season.

Start shopping early.

Do yourself a favor and try to start shopping early. Don’t wait until the last minute to snag gifts as this is sure to add so much unnecessary stress. I start in November, typically, but have been known to start earlier.

Establish gift expectations.

Our family is large, so for many years now we have made it so that we shop for the kids-the nieces and nephews, and then we draw a name to shop for as far as the adults. It minimizes the amount of people you’re shopping for which is nice for your bank account and stress levels.  Don’t be afraid to set a money limit on your holiday shopping as well. Everyone will be sure to appreciate it.

Amazon Prime.

Can I get an amen? Amazon Prime is hands down a SAINT during this time of year. I hate shopping this time of year because every store is packed and the wait lines are atrocious. I’ll order online and wait my two days to get my items any day.

Understand it’s OK to say No.

Do not overextend yourself. I repeat, do not overextend yourself! During the holidays, we’re all spread pretty thin trying to visit with everyone and keep everyone happy, yet it never seems to keep everyone happy. It’s OK to say no to going somewhere or doing something, especially if you have kids and want to build traditions with them. Do what you want to do, and don’t feel guilty by saying no to something you really don’t want to do or have time to do.

Self-Care.

Practice self-care especially during the holidays. Do something JUST for yourself. Snag a mani or pedi. Get your hair done. Go get a massage. Make time to take care of yourself. It’s a busy time of year, and if you’re not taking care of yourself, you have the chance of getting worn out and/or sick. which is not a way to spend the holiday season.

Let go of the things you simply cannot control.

This is easier said that done, I understand, but there is no point in adding extra stress over the things you simply cannot control. There is something so freeing about this concept, and it’ll take practice and even patience, but once you’re there and truly focusing on the things you can control, you’ll have a renewed sense of calmness.

Be present.

If you’re so busy during the holiday season that you are literally not present, you’re doing the holidays wrong. Also, focus on minimizing your social media presence and really be with your family and friends during this time. Being present can be such an incredible gift to others.

Remember to be grateful. 

This time of year should be where you realize even more what you’re grateful for. If you let the stressors of the holiday season intervene with that, then you’re forgetting what the season is all about. It’s so incredibly important to minimize the little things that add stress to this season, because being grateful for what you have like your family, your health, your career , your friends, your home, etc. should be even more recognized this time of year.

***

Although I battle these stressors from time to time this time of year, I’ve gotten a lot better at recognizing what I can do to minimize it by simply changing a few things up.  I hope that these were some helpful things you can implement to minimize the stresses you feel this time of year so that you can truly enjoy the magic of the holiday season.