3 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress so You Can Celebrate What Matters
Sometimes the excitement of having time off, being with friends and family, sharing our favorite foods and drinks and creating special memories can get lost to the holiday stress of preparing for each event.
What can we do to minimize stress and maximize happiness this holiday season? Here are 3 tips to boost your joy and be more “zen” this holiday.
1. Give Yourself Permission to Update Your Plans.
If you find yourself dreading a particular event or aspect of the holidays, take the time to pause and examine why. Are you dreading a particular event because it’s located in a difficult place to get to? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the number of things crowding your calendar and really wishing you could take a break from the hustle and bustle?
Give yourself a moment to understand what’s causing the holiday stress. Once you understand what it is, ask yourself some questions:
What happens if you skip this event? Is it essential for you to attend? Could you make an appearance for an hour and then excuse yourself gracefully? If it’s a small event that you’ve organized, is it something you can reschedule to after the holiday rush is over, when you can enjoy it more?
2. Put Your Favorite Holiday Traditions on Your Calendar.
Take a few minutes to think about your favorite holiday moments. Is there a specific activity that’s your favorite? Do you love putting on Christmas music and decorating a tree? Is there a holiday treat or meal that’s your favorite? A holiday movie or show you’ve been looking forward to? List your top two or three favorite holiday traditions and put them on your calendar now. You might consider timing them so that you have something special to look forward to the day after something you’re not as excited about doing, or as a space-holder in the middle of a week that’s sure to be super busy.
Putting the things that are special to you on the calendar makes sure you don’t reach the end of the holiday season feeling like you’ve missed out on the things that matter to you.
3. Find Simple Ways to Give.
Giving at the holidays helps us capture joy by spreading it. It also helps us feel grateful for the things we have. Sometimes that joy and gratitude are exactly what we needed to bring us out of our holiday stress and pull us back into a place where we can enjoy and celebrate this special time of the year.
The holidays are saturated with opportunities to give, from donation buckets outside department stores to toy drives to opportunities to provide a holiday meal for a family in need. You might find out that someone in your community or family needs help with a something specific. Maybe you simply buy coffee for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop.
Happy Holidays from KCC!
Give the gift of happiness! If you want to share tools and tips to increase happiness, why not gift my book 21 Days to Happiness? You will find it here on Amazon in 3 formats, paperback, audiobook or ebook.
Whatever your plans this holiday season, we hope you and your loved ones have a safe, healthy, happy holiday! If we can help you with any business needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC team!
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
