The holidays are a time of year when we feel especially grateful for the people in our lives, and it’s also an extremely stressful period. With so much going on, there is ample opportunity for stress to creep up and take hold.
If you’re feeling anxious about all the things that need to get done this holiday season, rest assured that you are not alone. According to a 2015 survey by Healthline, 44% of respondents reported feeling stressed mostly during holidays. That stress comes from everything from shopping for gifts to travelling home for the holidays and worrying about having enough money left at the end of the year.
That being said, there are simple things you can do to combat your stress levels during the holiday season — no matter what kind of pressure you’re under. Read on for tips on how you can reduce your stress and anxiety this holiday season with ease…
Plan ahead as much as possible
There are few things more stressful than being unprepared for a big event. Whether it’s a work presentation or a family gathering, pressure comes from having too much to do and too little time to do it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by too many commitments, try to break them down into smaller chunks so you can focus on one thing at a time.
For example, if your parents are visiting for the holiday season, try to avoid feeling stressed by making sure everything is booked and confirmed well in advance. If they are coming to stay with you all through the holiday season, you should make sure to make preparations in advance; you should also consider their emergency needs.
According to Sunshine Urgent Care, a renowned Holmes Beach urgent care center, most health emergencies occur during holiday periods such as Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, when doctors and nurses may be a little more rushed than usual, so you need to know your urgent care options in case that becomes the scenario to avoid stress. If you can plan ahead, your life will run so much more smoothly during the holidays.
Keep in mind that most stress is actually self-inflicted
When you’re feeling pressured, it can be easy to scold yourself for not getting things done on time. While it’s important to hold yourself accountable for your actions, it’s also important to not let that turn into unnecessary self-criticism.
Try to remember that when you’re feeling stressed, it’s not because you’re not working hard enough. Instead, it’s because you’ve set too many expectations for yourself.
It’s easy to let the expectations of others weigh you down during the holidays, but remember that you don’t need to be perfect. Give yourself a break when you need it and let go of the expectation that you need to be super-perfect.
Make your self-care a priority
The holidays are a great time to make sure you’re giving yourself some much-needed self-care. Whether that means booking a full body massage or making sure you’re getting enough sleep, you want to make sure you’re looking after yourself during this busy period.
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, it can be helpful to try some simple self-soothing strategies, like exercising or meditating. It can also be helpful to identify your triggers for feeling stressed.
For some people, that’s a lot of social interaction. For others, it might be being too busy. By knowing what makes you feel stressed, you can make sure to take steps to combat that stress before it becomes overwhelming.
Don’t let technology stress you out
The holiday season is an amazing time to connect with family and friends. However, with social media being so prevalent in our lives, it can be easy to get caught up in comparing our lives to that of others.
It can be helpful to set boundaries for your social media usage during the holidays. Doing this can help you avoid feeling stressed out by seeing everyone else’s “perfect” family holiday season. It can also help you avoid getting lost in a stream of toxic and negative content on social media.
By setting boundaries for your social media usage, you can make sure to focus on what’s important in your life and avoid getting caught up in holiday stress.
Commit to being more grateful every day
As the holiday season approaches, it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like everything is going wrong. But, in fact, most of us don’t really have all that much to complain about.
Instead, we get caught up in the expectations of others, the expectations we set for ourselves, and the endless flow of media that portrays the “perfect” holidays.
By committing to being more grateful every day, you can combat the feelings of stress and anxiety that often creep up during the holidays. You can do this by keeping a gratitude journal or writing down three things you’re grateful for each day. You can also try to limit your exposure to social media and the holiday hype that’s out there.
It can be easy to get caught up in comparing your holiday to others’ but by being grateful for what you have, you can combat the stress that comes with the holidays.
Wrapping up
Now that we’ve gone over some tips on how to combat holiday season stress and anxiety, it’s time to take action. The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but they can also be extremely stressful.
By following these tips, you can reduce your holiday stress and anxiety almost entirely! Make sure to start planning ahead, keep in mind that most of your stress is self-inflicted, and try to be more grateful.
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