Five ways to reduce holiday stress
The holidays bring back warm childhood memories, so people try to spend time with family, and friends as cheerfully as possible. However, holidays can bring a festive mood to one and burden others with duties. But holidays are meant for all family members, and everyone should feel happy and fulfilled.
This article will be useful if you are usually in charge of holiday preparation and are stressed over the upcoming holidays. Consider holiday stress tips to make your holiday preparations less stressful.
1. Make a to-do list
The holidays require cooking exquisite dishes, cleaning the house, wrapping presents, and reaching everyone out. You should make sure you will not do everything last minute. Everyone has their jobs, and everyday duties, so it may be hard to find time to do the extra job.
But you will feel relief if you plan the holiday preparations. It is better to create a to-do list to accomplish everything in time. Do things that can be done in advance if you need to do so. For example, start coming up with present ideas, and inviting guests earlier.
You should have a solid plan a few weeks before starting the celebration. It will help you feel relaxed and keep everything under control. This way you will not feel stressed and burdened and can do all the preparations in time.
2. Share the duties
The most important thing to remember is that you should not do everything yourself. Everyone is having fun so everyone should work. You should not be responsible for all preparations even if you own the house.
Start thinking about how to distribute the duties ahead. For example, who will do the shopping, who will cook, and who will get the room ready for the guests? It is better to notify other family members about how they can contribute to the holidays.
There are several ways to do so:
Reach everyone through the phone or social media: it is much easier to contact distant relatives through your phone. You can send a reminder about the start of the holiday season, and suggest how everyone can be helpful for the common good. You can tell about your celebration plan, and offer guests to suggest their ideas.
Gather the family meeting: it is much easier to agree on the duties distribution in the family circle. You can just discuss the preparations at the family dinner, and choose the better plan of action for everyone.
This way you will not be left alone with the preparations and can enjoy the holidays as well.
3. Plan your budget
Celebration of the holidays usually requires spending lots of money, which can be pretty stressful. But there is always a way to keep everything under control.
Firstly, you should devise a budget limit and stick to it. Choose the amount of money you will spend on food and presents, and don’t cross the line.
Secondly, think about how to spend your money wisely. You should not buy super expensive gifts or desserts to impress others. You need to spend as much money as you feel comfortable with.
Besides, you can share the money spent on food or tickets among some family members, and not pay to your detriment.
4. Create the relaxing atmosphere
The holiday preparation is always stressful, especially if you play host. That is why you should feel relaxed from the beginning of the new day.
You should not rush running right to the kitchen to start cooking or cleaning. Acting like it is an ordinary day is important, and there is no reason to be nervous. Start your day slowly, and enjoy time with yourself. Don’t forget about your everyday routine.
You can turn on some relaxing music, open the windows to let the sun rays in, or wear your favorite clothes – do everything that makes you feel happy. Forget about the side worries and concentrate on your duties only.
5. Share your feelings
Don’t be afraid to tell family members you are stressed about the upcoming holidays. Share your feelings, and you will not only feel relief but get support. Be sure, everyone will like to make your holiday preparations easier.
It is always necessary to get emotional support, especially when you feel worried or stressed. You can call the guests during the holiday preparation and tell them how it is going, and you will see that no one expects everything to be perfect.
