Blog : Tips for Managing Dealing With Holiday Stress

For many, the holiday season is the perfect storm of stressful events, thoughts, and feelings. The holidays can bring with them painful memories of lost loved ones, a personally or financially devastating divorce, or an argument that ended a friendship. And since the holiday season happens during the winter, some people also deal with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder SAD on top of their usual holiday stress.

Learn to Say No- Whether it is way too many party invitations, requests from your kids school, or the co-workers, the holidays can get overwhelming. The season is an excellent time to practice setting boundaries and learn to say no to things you don t want to do or that would put an unnecessary burden on you.

Make a Plan- Although it is common for the holiday season to screw up your schedule, it does not have to. At the start of the season, put together a plan for the upcoming weeks so you can stick to your habits and activities as much as possible.

Carve Out Some Me Time- Don t forget to do the things you love most during the busy holiday season. Just as you want to plan for exercise or tasks, it is essential to plan to do the things that make you feel better.

Make a Pact With Your Family- If the holidays are synonymous with drama in your family, it might be time to call a truce. It also helps to have a list of topics you would not discuss over holiday meals or at other family functions. Your list can consist of whatever you want or whatever topics are a point of contention among your family members.

Conclusion- Remember, the point of the season is to enjoy time with the ones you love, celebrate religious or family traditions, and welcome the start of a new year gracefully.