Who doesn’t love the holidays?!
The festive vibe on the streets, the trees all lit up, Christmas music everywhere, and everyone we meet is in a good mood!
There is nothing like it! For a month or so every year, it seems like there are no problems. They have all been put on hold.
This of course isn’t true. Our problems haven’t gone anywhere, but two other things have happened.
1. There is an assumption that we should be happy all the time.
2. We add more work and responsibilities to our time during this season.
Between holiday decorating, cooking for more people than usual, organizing our schedule to fit in more social engagements, and trying to find presents for everyone we know, we’re even busier now.
It’s not surprising then that many people experience stress during the holidays and feel overwhelmed!
Some of the results of poorly managed holiday stress include headaches, drinking or eating too much, and insomnia. Other things we might experience due to Christmas overwhelm are heart palpitations (where our hearts beat very strong and fast in our chest), sweating, irritability, and feelings of overwhelming stress.
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So I took a look at what the research tells us and found the best techniques that could show you how to destress during the holidays and reduce Christmas overwhelm.
I hope you find which ones work for you and which don’t. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Happy Holidays! Fa lalalala, la la, la, la!
Table of Contents
How to Destress During the Holidays and Prevent Christmas Overwhelm: An Ultimate Guide
1. Managing Expectations
We have certain expectations for the holidays.
These aren’t set in stone. They are probably just the way things in our families have always been done.
So why not take this time to think about what we expect from yourself and our family during the holidays.
In thinking about this we might see what is actually really important to us.
For example, we might find that we don’t really care about whether we have turkey or chicken, in which case, great, make the chicken!
By looking at family expectations, we can find things that can cause us stress during the holidays. We might find ourselves thinking, “Well I expect Aunt Flo to ask me again this year why I’m not married with kids yet!”
By thinking about what we really want from the holidays, and what we expect from family members, we might be able to see what the potential things that can cause us stress during the holidays.
Also, this can be a way for us to see what it is that is truly important around the holidays – instead of just assuming that everything is super important.
2. Holiday Preparation List
Once we’ve looked at expectations, we can go into making a game plan.
We might already know things that can stress us out, or maybe we’ve just discovered some more by looking at expectations.
By knowing our stressors, we might be able to jump in front of them and find a way to successfully deal with them.
For example, if buying presents for all of our friends and relative is an issue, think of possible solutions – maybe we could suggest Secret Santa to a select group of people.
This will allow ourselves to save money and time searching for so many presents. Right away, this decreases Christmas overwhelm.
Even better, creating a budget will take away that financial stress during Christmas.
Another example of a stress is waiting for the last minute to do all our shopping.
Why not consider making a schedule with certain presents shopping on certain days.
In terms of rocky family moments, try to be prepared for them by either accepting it or not letting it get to you.
For everyone this will be different because everyone is stressed out by different things to a varying degree.
Whatever it is that can cause Christmas stress and overwhelm, think about making a list and trying to get in front of some of these stressors.
There will always be surprises and stressful situations that we haven’t prepared for. But by preparing for the ones we can, we can minimize the overwhelm even by a little bit.
3. Manage the expectation that you should feel good all the time
We all have good days and bad days. Just because it is the holiday season and everyone seems to be on some sort of Gingerbread Cookie high, doesn’t mean that we won’t have ups and downs.
We still have the same responsibilities as before, plus the new ones now. So it is impossible to assume that we will be super happy all the time.
Sure, break out the jingle bells, decorate that tree, drink that eggnog! But don’t beat yourself up if you’re just not having any of it, feel lonely or sad, and want to sit at home not partaking in any festivities. That’s fine.
Tomorrow will be better, and if the mood strikes you again, get back into the festivities. Or not.
Reflecting on losses or disappointments (if this happens).
Some people get a little sad during the holidays.
I sometimes tend to reflect on the year that has gone by and it can make me sad sometimes. I think of all the wonderful things that have happened this year and it makes me a little sad to think that they have passed.
You might be thinking of those that are no longer with us and this might make you a little depressed.
It’s not wrong to feel sad, to reflect. Taking the time to do this without judgement is not a bad thing.
Quite the opposite. It makes us appreciate the things we have, the people around us, that we made it through another year, hopefully, a little wiser and smarter.
Consider setting the time aside to sit down and reflect. Writing down how you’re feeling is even better. Don’t linger, write it down, feel how you feel and when you’re ready, move on.
Please note however, that if this is severe depression where you might hurt yourself, please consult a mental health professional in your area.
4. Nutrition and exercise
With all the holiday candy, turkeys, festive beverages, and cakes around us all the time during the holidays, it’s hard to always eat healthy.
Also, with all the things that need to get done, we tend to push exercise out the window first.
But maintaining a proper diet and exercising regularly is so important to prevent burnout that can happen during the holiday season. More than this, exercise itself is a way to destress during the holidays and prevent Christmas overwhelm.
5. Say no
There are always many:
- engagements
- family parties
- work parties
- dinner parties
- galas
to go to during the Christmas season.
Do we have to go to all of them? No.
Go to the ones you want to go to. Say yes when you mean yes, and say no when you mean no.
Everyone will survive if you don’t make it to their party.
6. Stick to your daily routine as much as you can
We’ve already said how there are all these new commitment and things to do during the holidays.
So it really helps if we stick to our usual daily routine as much as we can. We’re all creatures of habit. And no one really likes it when their daily life is uprooted.
So to maintain stability in your life and prevent Christmas overwhelm, stick to your daily routine as much as you can.
Having this consistent stability may be able to help you to destress during the holidays and reduce Christmas overwhelm!
7. Limit alcohol and make sure to hydrate
In an attempt to relieve any anxiety or stress we may be feeling, we can sometimes turn to increased amounts of alcohol.
But actually, research has shown that alcohol can actually make our anxiety worse or even trigger a panic attack.
Am I suggesting you don’t drink at all?
Of course not!! Who could possibly resist a good glass of wine or a delicious Cosmo?
But know your limit and drink for enjoyment, not to stop anxiety or stress!
Also, alcohol dehydrates us, so it’s important to drink lots of water when drinking.
But not just when we’re drinking.
Often when we’re so busy trying to get everything done, we forget to drink water.
So try to keep this in mind as you go through your busy day.
8. Make time for you
Yes, there are million things to do. Yes, all the presents need to be bought, the tree made, the turkey stuffed, the stockings filled, the relatives invited, the grocery list finished, and all the errands completed.
And this is all on top of the usual everyday stuff we have going on.
It’s a lot! I get it.
But it’s so important to find time for self-care!
Find time to be by yourself doing whatever it is that will destress you and reduce Christmas overwhelm. Here is a list of 47 incredibly fun self-care activities!
This is so important because we don’t want to the holidays to be over and we’re just completely burned out.
9. Attitude Check
It’s so easy to get lost in our to-do lists and to forget the big picture.³
Holidays mean something different to everyone.
For me, they are a time of Christmas carols and Christmas movies. A time to decorate the tree, eat Christmas cookies, and spend time with loved ones.
I try to remind myself that everything else is trivial.
So take a moment to remember the big picture, remember what the holidays are about for you. This can really help in preventing Christmas overwhelm.³
10. Breathe
Whether or not you meditate, remember to breathe!
Mindfulness-based meditation or breathing has been shown to decrease anxiety! By practicing meditative breathing, you may be able to destress during the holidays and reduce Christmas overwhelm!
The holidays will end, all the parties will be over, the presents will be opened, the tree will come down, the turkey will be eaten.
It will pass. So take a moment to breathe. Remember that every holiday season has passed just like this one will as well.
So breathe, enjoy the songs, enjoy the snow, enjoy the lights, enjoy time with your loved ones and have a very Happy Holidays!!
Which tip are you going to try to destress during the holidays and reduce Christmas overwhelm?
Share in the comments below!
