5 Stress Reduction Tips to Help You Avoid Holiday Burnout

by Sheila D. Boynton, Founder & Therapist Soul Transformation LLC

The holiday season is fast approaching and for many people, stress, depression, and anxiety can make this season anything but happy. So, what can we do to reduce the risk of emotional overload during the holiday season? Let’s discuss 5 stress reduction tips to help you avoid burnout during the holidays:

• Lower your expectations
The holidays are so exciting! Being with loved ones, Christmas decorations, lights, presents lots of eating! As the holiday approaches, expectations increase as to how the holiday will happen, and sometimes aiming for those expectations can create unnecessary stress. Therefore, try not to place lofty expectations on yourself or others around you. Always expect the unexpected and remember that humans can react unpredictably and surprisingly. Also, life can throw us the curve ball, especially when we least expect it, so have a little bit of “this too shall pass
mindset.” When you manage expectations, you create a position of control that ultimately reduces opportunities of stress and create a more pleasant holiday experience.

• Plan Ahead.
Make a detailed plan for all of the things you need to do. Be thorough and try to do as much in advance as possible. The more you can get done before the holidays the less stressful the season. Include shopping, decorations, wrapping, meal preparation, sending cards, visiting family, and a schedule for all your events. This will help you get organized, so you’ll get more done and you’ll feel less stressed. Make checklists so you can mark progress as you go. Another great tip is to have a backup plan in case things go awry.

• Delegate Task.
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure happy holidays. The Christmas dinner alone really can be demanding work for the cook! Too much work leads to stress burnout so make sure the whole family shares the workload. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegate by sharing chores amongst the whole family and get children involved too. It’s true – many hands make light work – and they also reduce stress in doing so.

• Be Okay with Saying No.
As much as the holidays are about spending time with family, having the family over can be highly stressful. Not all families get along, and stress levels can soar at get-togethers. If you have family members who are unappreciative, argumentative, aggressive, sulky – the kind of people who will spoil the day – it is okay to say “no!” and don’t invite them. The holidays are about joy and happiness, so inviting people who will ruin everyone’s day isn’t on. But a sense of duty can lead to inviting someone against your better judgement. Your only duty is to your immediate family – your spouse and your children – not to any other family members. If your family get along, fine, but if you know there’s going to be conflicts (arguments), then make everyone’s day by not having stress as an unwanted holiday guest. It’s okay to set healthy holiday boundaries for an enjoyable time!

• Define Your Budget
Set your budget and stick to it. It’s really tempting to spend money during the holidays and many people will rack up huge debts doing so. The debt then becomes a major stress factor after the holidays have ended. You don’t need to buy people expensive gifts. You don’t need to go into debt to impress people. The Internet is a fantastic source for finding creative and imaginative gifts that will give the receiver a highly valued special surprise because it shows thoughtfulness. Debt is to stress what pizzas are to waistlines. There is a heavy price to pay to impress people with gifts. Stick to your budget and you will reduce stress, not just over the holidays but for many months after.