Managing Holiday Stress

Keep the Joy in Your Holidays

Each year as the holiday season approaches, most of us feel an unavoidable mix of excitement and stress. At first we joyfully anticipate our family traditions. That quickly changes when we remember all the things we need to do in just a few short weeks to make the magic happen. The decorating, the shopping, the baking, the parties, the greeting cards and, yikes, the holiday houseguests…the list seems to go on forever.

Don't let the stress rob your holidays of all the joy this year. Begin to follow some of these simple strategies now, and you may find yourself as happy as your family when the holidays finally arrive.

Organize Early

The end of October is not too early to begin your holiday organizing. With Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away, the holiday season unofficially begins by Halloween. The first step you'll want to take is to make a thorough list of everything you'll need to do to be ready for the approaching festivities. This might include ordering and sending holidays cards; purchasing new bed linens for your guests; preparing your holiday gift list and beginning to shop; creating centerpieces; meal planning; etc. Your goal at this point is to look at the big picture, not the little details. Once you're done with your master list, review it for tasks you can accomplish early. For example:

Order your holiday cards by early November. As soon as they're ready, write, address and stamp them. No need to mail them until December.

Your Thanksgiving turkey can be ordered in early November. At that time, plan your Thanksgiving menu too.

Do you have gifts that will need to be mailed? Be sure those gifts are among the first you purchase and wrap in order to meet early, less expensive shipping deadlines.

Simplify

Holidays are so much about traditions that we may do things that are no longer meaningful to us, simply out of habit. Therefore, take a little time to think about your traditions and decide which ones really contribute to the joy of your holiday and which ones may be causing you more stress than they are worth.

Do you need to pull out and use all 20 boxes of holiday decorations? How about alternating two groups of ten boxes each year?

Don't bake five different varieties of cookies; bake your favorite two or three recipes instead. Better yet, bake a large batch of only one variety, and then organize a cookie exchange with your friends where everyone can trade their favorite cookie to get the desired variety.

If preparing your Christmas Eve dinner exhausts you each year, look for ways to lighten the work. Allow guests who offer to bring along a special dish to add to the meal. Buy your dessert at the bakery instead of staying up late to make your traditional five pies.

Remember you don't have to say "yes" to every invitation you receive at this time of the year. Be choosy about the parties you attend so that you have energy to spend time with the people who are most important in your life.

Gently Manage Your Houseguests

Be direct in asking your houseguests how long they plan to visit. That way you'll know exactly how many meals you'll need to serve and how much food and other supplies you'll need to buy.

Plan activities you can do together and provide suggestions for things they can do while you attend to other obligations. It never hurts to take a little break from too much togetherness. Around the holidays there are often local concerts, shows, craft fairs, and places to see holiday lights. Even if you plan to attend these events together, getting out of the house will be a refreshing change of scenery.

Schedule a few meals away from home or order take-out so that you don't find yourself continuously chained to the kitchen while your guests are in town.

Hold Tight to Those Traditions You Love

When we're busy, it's easy to let slide those things we do for ourselves. Don't let this happen to you. Make sure you catch your favorite holiday movie; schedule that outing to the tea shop with your friend; join in the snowball fight with your children. It's by taking time for the things that make us happy that we find the energy to get everything else done for others.