Most people don’t know what holiday stress exactly is as it is a baffling concept which states that we are stressed about the holiday and during the holiday. How can we be stressed during the holiday season? People who are workaholics or are on a tighter budget that limits their spending are some who will naturally feel stressed over the holiday period.
A lot of parties and events are organized in a brief span of time which can trigger guilt in you over not connecting with all your friends and even make you fret over repeating the same clothes at the second event which is hosted by the same friend. During the holiday season, you can even get carried away and end up spending extravagantly which might later lead to a sense of guilt. What you need to do is take a deep breath and calm down embracing the truth that it is your holiday and you must do what you want to.
Don’t go for the biggest turkey and the highest Christmas tree that is laden with decorations which cost you a month’s groceries. Instead, be wise and calculative in your expenditure only spending on things which will both make a good festive atmosphere in the home and save you the cash that will help you keep the holiday stress at bay. Knowing what you have and then using it to your own advantage is never a source of embarrassment or shame.
#2. Give Meaningful Gifts
It’s time to stop giving gifts that everyone is giving and gift something that will remain with the person forever as a beautiful memory. The gift which highlights a quality of the person you are giving it to or moves their heart in a way that they get nostalgic and sentimental about the past moments you shared and enjoyed is something that they will acknowledge. It will be a gift of high value which is presented by heart not as a part of ritual. It will not only make the other person happy but will also relieve your holiday stress.
#3. Get Help
Don’t try to do everything yourself as it will increase your stress. Avoid living in fear of meeting one deadline after the other as it can drive you insane. Talk to your friends and ask for help. Invite them to your house and then you all can decorate it collectively. Seek help from other family members as well. There is no point in taking the entire burden on yourself as you might be already micro-managing in the holiday season. When you all are managing everything and planning things together, then you will not feel stressed out.
#4. Don’t Follow All Traditions
Every family follows some traditions or the other, but no one follows them all so don’t be over-committed to your piety. Holidays are not to overwork yourself and run riot with cramming too much in your holiday season. There isn't anything bad in skipping certain traditions if you feel overworked while managing them. Try to spend the holiday season in a very subtle manner. By doing this, you will also be able to easily manage all tasks that will make this holiday season great and reduce the holiday stress.
# 5. Meditate
It is very important to be mindful and practice meditation so that you can focus on yourself being the center of all tasks and activities that go around you instead of obsessing over them losing your peace of mind. Meditation will help you to bring satisfaction and differentiate between the important and trivial tasks with a clear mind. Exhausting yourself over the pursuit of things will only agonize you and will wear you down. Meditation will save you from losing your mind and reduce stress.
# 6. Self-Care
It is very important that you sleep as much as you slept during your workdays and follow the same routine as your body is accustomed to it. Exercising and keeping fit is another priority which you should not ignore during the holiday season as they act as great stress busters and impart a sense of calm which is necessary to keep negative thoughts at bay.
# 7. Take A Short Trip
A short trip can sometimes be very effective in dispersing depressive thoughts which can make you look down and feel sad. The holiday season can trigger a lot of sadness and melancholy especially when you realize that there is nothing special about them as you do the same thing over and over and it is just a decorated day overhyped by the society. The frame of mind you are in is one which is not ready to embrace the happiness as your mind. It is very important that we disconnect and reconnect with our surroundings so that our emotional structure does not become stale. A short trip will decrease your stress and help you reunite with your surroundings.
#8. Let Go
During the holiday season, when we are on a break from strict deadlines, completion of tasks that our boss has assigned, our mind wanders and thinks about the people who are in our life, not the ones who are actively involved but the ones who are distant from us. When there is a distance between people, relationships change and so does the affection between them. When you look inside yourself, you will notice that you are still holding a grudge against some people. This is a source of rage and stress as you are still emotionally attached to them. It is a petty thing to get highly neglectful of a loved one if they have done something which was not okay with you. Festivals are all about being the bigger person so practice forgiveness and show other people that their bad behavior towards you is not going to change your loyalty towards them. Once you let go the bad feelings and grudges, you will feel lighter and your stress will get evaded.
#9. Cultivate Festive Spirit
Undertake the activities which you have never done before during the holiday season. Interact with new people. Spend time with your family and friends and let them know of their importance in your life. Decorate your house and be in the festive mood. Once you get in the mood, you will forget all the stress.
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#10. Limit Your Alcohol
The holiday season is surely the season to let go, but it doesn’t mean that you dive so deep into the drinking that you cannot separate reality from your imagination. It is important for you to be conscientious and relax only after you have fulfilled your duties for the day. You can smoke and drink in moderate amounts as it is the best way to have just the right amount of wrong but avoid drinking too much as it may lead to more stress instead of reducing it.
Tell us how you reduce your holiday stress. We would love to know your experiences so please share them with us in the comment box below. We look forward to your replies.
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