During the holiday season, you may find yourself thinking, “Why am I so tired and stressed out? This is supposed to be a fun, relaxing break from work and school, but I’m just not feeling it.”
You are not alone.
It is common for people to feel stressed out during the holidays. With all that the holidays entail, like family gatherings, travel, gift buying, time off from work, and being out of your normal routine, we can experience a myriad of emotions, including excitement, relief, dread, stress, and fatigue.
4 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress:
1) Maintain your regular routine, as much as possible.
We all know it’s difficult to keep your regular routine during the holidays with parties, travel, and time off from work, but do what you can and have reasonable expectations of yourself (see #2 below for more on this). Try to incorporate your normal routine for food, sleep, and exercise into your holiday schedule. Eat some of the things you normally eat, get exercise, and definitely get sleep. All three of these things will help mitigate your stress.
2) Have realistic expectations.
Have reasonable expectations for yourself and for others. Don’t take on more than you need to. Say no and set limits if you are getting overwhelmed. Ask family and friends for help. For example, if you’re hosting a holiday party, ask several guests to bring food or beverages. Ask someone to come early for set-up or stay later for help with clean up.
Likewise, you should have realistic expectations for your loved one. For example, if your brother and his wife always arrive late to family functions, don’t expect it to be any different this year when they attend your dinner party. Decide in advance how you want to handle it – will you wait for them to arrive or begin dinner without them? The more you can plan for these types of things, the less surprised (and annoyed) you’ll be when they occur.
3) Nurture yourself.
Do whatever it is that nurtures you. Make time to unwind and relax, even if it’s just 15 minutes. Schedule some alone time. Go for a run. Take a nap. Meditate. Eat your favorite meal. Get a massage. Watch a movie.
4) Practice gratitude.
In the midst of the hectic holidays, try to connect to what you are grateful for. When you wake up each morning, say 1 thing you appreciate about your life. Examples include, “I’m grateful that I have hot water for my shower this morning” or “I appreciate how sweet my boyfriend was with my grandmother yesterday.”
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