Holidays shouldn’t be hard work
Holidays are a time to gather with friends and family to enjoy the festivities the season brings. Everyone seems to look forward to the holidays, the time off school and work, and long hot days at the beach.
However, the holiday season can also be a huge source of stress.
Preparing presents, hosting parties, baking, having family stay over, decorating, can all contribute to stress, making the holidays seem like more a chore than a celebration. If that sounds like you, it might be time to take a step back and look at how you can rearrange your daily routine, so you too can enjoy rather than endure your herdearned break from routine.
If your family expects you to host the holiday gathering this year but you don’t think you can manage, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask if they might be able to do it instead.
You might have other obligations, or simply not have time to get the house ready. Whatever, there’s nothing wrong with asking someone else in the family to host.
You could always offer to provide more snacks or decorations to help them get everything ready for guests; that way, you can still make an important contribution without feeling overwhelmed.
Prioritising tasks can also help you keep stress levels under control. Many people pack way too much into their days, often suffering mounting stress in the process. If you have to, make a physical list of everything you need to get done. Writing down your goals can dramatically improve your chances of success.
Make sure your To Do list only includes a few key tasks you need to complete each day. It’s much easier to manage stress when you’re reasonable with what you can accomplish within a specific time frame.
If you can’t get something done that day, move it to the next day, or even ask someone for help — it’s okay to do that.
The holidays don’t have to be all work and no play. Even if you have a lot to do, you can still set aside a little time each day to step away from the chaos and nourish your spirit with people and activities that make your heart happy. After a certain time, make an agreement with yourself to stop what you’re doing and take time for you. You’ll get everything done that you need to at the right time.
If you can’t get time alone, spend time with family and friends doing something that doesn’t involve preparation and effort. Play a board game, watch a movie, eat at your favourite restaurant, or something your group can enjoy together.
During the holidays, it can be tempting to indulge in treats more often than you should, but think of how you will likely feel after the holidays are over. Make a pact with yourself to stick to your normal eating habits, with some ‘cheat meals’ sprinkled in here and there. It’s easy to let a couple of days of treating yourself turn into a few more days, then weeks, then months.
To make sure you stay on track, start a healthy holiday eating challenge with friends, so you can hold each other accountable and also have workout buddies to rely on. The holidays can be a prime time for putting on pounds, and weight gain can be a trigger for stress.
If you love desserts, try making them lower-fat by using apple sauce instead of oil. This way you can still enjoy your favourite foods without worrying about how your jeans will fit the next day.
Making delicious food that everyone enjoys is an important part of the holiday season. When you feed your body well, you will feel good, leaving less room for stress to creep into your life.
And go easy on yourself if everything doesn’t go perfectly. Sometimes you just have to embrace what’s going on in life and make the best of it.
If something goes wrong, there’s no point thinking about what should have happened. The moment has gone, and now you get to create new things in the next moment.
There’s always a new day, so don’t stress too much if things don’t go as planned. You may even come to discover that the pie burned because someone else in your family already made the exact same one to bring later, and maybe you didn’t find all your presents because the shop you go to the next day will have the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.
Whatever happens these holidays, embrace it. Love it or learn from it.