As the holidays approach, the one thing you can be certain of is the fact that your life is about to become more stressful. Your home may suddenly be filled with people, and you find yourself without any time to get your long list of things-to-do completed. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to relieve yourself of some of the holiday stresses. The following are some tips to help you create stress-free holidays for your family members:
Don’t Expect Perfection Everyone bases their own holiday memories on those seen on television. Your holidays are not going to be perfect and this is what makes them so great. Know that you and your family will have a great time, even if the turkey was overcooked or you forgot to buy someone a special gift. Life will go on even if you didn’t do the perfect table display.
Prepare for Anything It is common for things to go wrong, even if you have done everything perfectly. You can prepare for anything; you just have to have a Plan B. For example, if you worry about people showing up unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, plan ahead by having a few extra gifts on-hand that you can give out. Having them wrapped and ready will mean you only have to write a name on the tag.
Get Others Involved Most of the holiday stress is because a lot of people hate to ask for help. If you are expecting twenty extra people for your holiday dinner, make it a potluck dinner. Ask others to bring their own special dish. Not only will it make you less stressed, but it will make them feel important. In fact, most people prefer to bring something when visiting so you will be doing them a favor.
Take a Break You also need to set aside some time to just take a break from it all. During the winter, your body is lacking the sun. Plan a special hike with your family to get some sun and to fight off seasonal affective disorder, which is common in the winter. Taking a break will put everything back into perspective for you.
You may have thought that you are prepared for the cold weather and the approaching holidays, but if you are feeling the stress, take charge and use the above tips to get rid of your stress. The holidays are all about family and fun so don’t let the small things ruin it for you.
