The holidays are almost here! Soon we will hear daily messages of joy, cheer, and love, but for many people stress, anxiety, and depression run high during the holiday season. The many expectations that go on behind the season events can cause people to feel overwhelmed and stressed. It is important to take care of yourself during the holidays to reduce stress and other negative feelings.
Here are crucial tips to beat holiday stress:
- Managing your time/delegate: It is helpful to create a priority list and eliminate unrealistic goals.
- Don’t overdo it: Before you attend holiday gatherings decide on your limits and stick to them.
- Don’t worry about how things should be: don’t judge your happiness on the success of your holiday. Be thankful for what you have and the opportunities you have been given. This will help you put the holidays in perspective.
- Take a break: creating downtime every day to rest is very important during the busy holiday season. This is your time to unwind.
- Get enough sleep: ensure that you give yourself enough time for sleep. Most adults need 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
- Eat well/don’t engage in emotional eating: don’t use the holidays as a reason to stop eating well. The more you eat sugary, fatty foods the worse you will feel. This will not help you manage your stress.
- Watch your alcohol intake: alcohol is often used to manage stress during the holidays. A couple drinks per week is okay, but more than this can increase your stress and cause weight gain. Increase alcohol use will also impair your judgment and make the holidays more overwhelming. Keep the alcohol to a minimum!
- Acknowledge feelings you have about the season: It is okay if you do not enjoy the holidays. You are not alone, but often people don’t feel comfortable talking about their dislike for the holidays. People have their “ideal” holiday that often does not match reality. Don’t judge yourself, but accept your feelings about the season. This will put you in a better place to manage your holiday stress.