What’s the secret to getting through the holidays with less stress? Be prepared. Be flexible. And follow our tips for holiday success with less stress.
Congratulations! You’ve made it — it’s December! That means you already have one major winter holiday celebration under your belt.
No matter how it went down, you can still finish strong while being calm, cool and collected. What’s the secret to getting through the holidays with less stress? Be prepared. Be flexible. And follow our tips for holiday success with less stress.
Holiday Stress: Stop It Before It StartsWhy do we get so stressed during the holidays? More than any other time of the year, the holidays bring on a lot demands on our time and energy — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining and spending time with people you may only see once a year (if that!).
When stress is already at its peak, it's hard to stop and regroup. This season, try to prevent stress and depression in the first place, especially if the holidays have taken an emotional toll on you in the past .
The American Heart Association suggests these basic tips for beating holiday stress:
Gift Giving: Keep It in CheckMake a list and a budget and stick to it. Really. Overspending on each person is the easiest way to break your budget. Sticking to your list and budgeting for each person will help prevent you from impulse buys.
Host with the Most: Planning for the Main EventIs it your turn in the family holiday hosting rotation? That’s a big responsibility, but you don’t need to do everything. Why not make it a potluck so that everyone can contribute? Advanced planning can help take some of the stress out of hosting the big event.
Home for the Holidays: Keeping It Clean There’s no place like home for holidays, but how can you keep it clean with so much going on? Try to get into the habit of doing a little cleaning each day. Sound like too much? It’s OK to skip a day here and there.
Are you hosting this year? Try not to be a perfectionist ! Tell us how you’re going to plan it out!
Sources: Mayo Clinic, 2014; Martha Stewart Living; The American Heart Association, 2014
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