How to Handle Holiday Stress

"‘Tis the Season to Be Honest With Yourself (...and Accept Imperfection!)

We have to be honest with ourselves about what we care about during the holiday season, how much time, energy, and money we have available, and acknowledge unrealistic expectations. By being honest with ourselves, we can actually cultivate more peace and joy during the holiday season. I recommend writing down what you’re imagining for this holiday season and see if you can do a reality check on those expectations (e.g., shifting “everyone should all be happy and relaxed” to “there will likely be a mix of stressful moments and moments of joy.”).

Avoid Social Overload and Set Boundaries

Ask yourself questions about which activities you want to attend instead of which you feel obligated to attend. I would encourage you to be aware of your limitations and give yourself permission to set boundaries so that those activities you partake in. For activities that feel more like an obligation than a pleasure, see if you can set limits within those, perhaps going for a pre-designated amount of time or avoiding them altogether. If you don’t think you can decline them, see if you can focus on something that you might enjoy about the experience (“I’ve really been wanting to talk with Aunt Aisha about her new job.”).

Sensible Spending Now Saves Stress Later

Focusing on the less commercial reasons, whether religious, family-oriented, or simply seasonal, can remind us of less financially burdensome activities that give our holidays meaning. One great way to re-focus our holidays away from commercialization is through volunteering our time to help support and take care of others.

Practice Self-Compassion

When practicing self-compassion, it is important to reflect on how you are talking to yourself and treating yourself during this time. You might practice talking to yourself in the way that you would talk to a loved friend. We often forget to extend loving support during challenging times to ourselves when it comes easily to us to take care of friends this way. You might also write a letter to yourself saying what a caring and encouraging friend might say to you at this moment. After writing this letter, take time to really savor this letter and feel the compassionate and comforting words.

Go Into the Season With A Self-Care Plan

In whatever way you typically create your schedule, it can be useful to add time for your self-care activities, particularly during the busy holiday season. Additionally, take a moment and write down those activities or tools that relax you, whether that is taking a walk, writing in a journal, deep breathing, listening to soothing music, or cooking.

When you start to feel stress or anxiety creep into your day, carve out time to walk away and engage in a pleasurable activity or use mindfulness techniques to bring you back to the present moment and notice how your experience changes from one moment to the next."

Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!

Reflection:

How do you deal with the holiday stress?

#Stress #Holidays #Coping