Ten Tips to Conquer Stress and Anxiety this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time that everyone looks forward to year after year, but sometimes they can be overwhelming, even for the most hardcore holiday lovers. With relatives visiting and trying to find the perfect gift for the people in your life, sometimes small stressors pop up that can turn the holidays from joyful to slightly unpleasant. 

Don’t let stress or anxiety get in the way of having a blast this holiday season. StoreyLine has put together a few tips and tricks that will help alleviate some of that holiday stress during the most wonderful time of the year. 

1. Budget! Budget! Budget!

The holiday season means shopping season! It’s that time of the year where it’s important to hunt for the best gifts to give to the people you love most. That being said, it’s easy to go overboard when it comes to shopping, so setting up a holiday budget will benefit both you and your wallet! 

But don’t just budget your expenses for holiday gifts; budget your time too. With so many holiday activities going on, you’ll probably want to say yes to all of them, but be careful. Saying yes to every invitation to holiday cheer can quickly take up your schedule and leave you spreading yourself a little too thin, which will just add to your holiday stress. So instead, sit yourself down and prioritize all of the holiday events you have coming up to know how you want to spend your time and ensure that you’re not taking on more than you can handle!

2. Don’t forget a healthy routine.

We have a set routine for the rest of the year, so why does that change during the holidays? Making your holiday-specific routine will make it easier for you to shift back into your everyday routine once the holidays are over. Having a routine is the best way to make sure you don’t fall out of your rhythm and that you stay on top of everything during the holidays! 

3. Realize that social media isn’t real… 

Social media has a habit of making us feel like we fall short of our expectations, and that’s especially true when it comes to the holidays. Comparing your holiday festivities with what you see on social media can leave you negative about your holiday cheer. 

Carefully curated Pinterest boards and Instagram pictures are pretty to look at but not a reality. So approach social media with a healthy mindset or better yet, stay off of it altogether and use that time to look at your loved ones and not your screen!

4. Stay Present

Learn to focus on what matters the most to you this holiday season! Maybe you want to spend time relaxing in front of a cozy fire with your pet, or perhaps you want to take the family out for a drive to see the holiday lights strewn along with the neighborhood. Whatever it is you look forward to doing, enjoy it at the moment and take it all in.

5. Be gentle with yourself!

It’s easy to want to take on as much as you can to hope that everything will get done quicker. However, even with the best tips and tricks to cope with holiday stress, if you’re not making time to take care of yourself, then it’s only a matter of time before you burn yourself out.

6. Make a list (and check it twice!)

Keep yourself organized by making a wish list of all the things you want to do this holiday season! By planning everything out, you’ll make it easier on yourself when you want to find out what you want to do and who you want to spend time with. 

Making a list on your phone or even writing it down to remind yourself of what you have to do this holiday season will make you aware of what’s upcoming and will leave you feeling satisfied when you get to cross it off!

7. Don’t wait till the last minute

When shopping for gifts or making a holiday dinner, waiting till the last minute will leave you feeling frazzled and stressed. Pacing yourself to know what you need to do and when to get it will make your holidays much more enjoyable. 

Put aside designated days you want to spend time frolicking in the snow, holiday shopping, and eating chestnuts by an open fire with your family. If you’re buying something online, make sure it has enough time to get to your house. That way, you’re not scrambling and constantly checking the tracking of your packages, wondering if they’ll arrive on time. 

8. Don’t strain yourself

Biting off more than you can chew happens to the best of us, but when you put too much on your plate, it can be hard to know where to start. Try to take a little bit on at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 

If you can’t make it somewhere, it’s perfectly okay to say no! Setting boundaries to protect yourself from holiday burnout isn’t selfish. The people in your life will understand if you can’t make it to any and every holiday function. 

9. Don’t have too much of a good thing…

While the holidays bring cheer and joy to us all, it isn’t the only thing they get. Holiday food and sugary sweets are among the best parts of the holiday season that everyone looks forward to. Of course, there’s always sugary goodness during the holidays, from decadent hot chocolate to warm gingerbread cookies. But all this sugar mixed in with late-night holiday movie nights can keep you awake or leave you feeling jittery. 

Try to avoid it if you can, but if you really can’t say no to the last sugar cookie in the cookie jar, try moving your body by going for a holiday lights walk or building your own Frosty the snowman for your front lawn. 

10. Breathe!

Relax. Whenever you find yourself sucked up in the whirlwind of twinkling lights and gingerbread scents, take a second to breathe in and out. Give yourself time to refresh and reset. This’ll allow you to spend time with yourself while also making sure you’re ready for whatever else the holidays bring your way!

Hopefully, if you keep these tips in mind and give yourself a moment to breathe, you’ll get through this holiday season without having to sacrifice your sanity! And now, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the holiday season with the ones that make you happiest.