Holiday parties, having people over, events every week – this season can be crazy busy and overwhelming. While we absolute love the holidays, we also know how stressful they can get! Today, we’re sharing our favorite tips for reducing holiday stress so that we can all focus on the goodness of the season. Practice the items on this list and look forward to a fun, stress-free holiday season!
RELATED: November Bucket List: Focusing on Gratitude
15 Ways To Reduce Holiday Stress
1. Get outside
Go hiking with a friend or go for a walk with the family! While it might be a chilly outside, it’s great to get outside in the sunlight and clear your mind. You won’t regret it!
2. Plan for fun activities
Having fun is one of the best ways to reduce or eliminate holiday stress! Go ice skating with your family. Do a puzzle with a friend. Make a delicious recipe. Head out to a holiday celebration. Play with your kids. There’s nothing like good old fashioned fun to bring joy to the season!
3. Do yoga
Yoga (or whatever exercise you find relaxing) is great for reducing stress! While you may not always feel like it, be sure to make this practice a weekly event in order to keep your stress levels down.
4. Make time for rest
Have a crazy busy schedule? Schedule in a day or a few hours of rest. Rest can be whatever it looks like for you! Whether it’s coffee with a friend, watching tv, or taking a nap, be sure to take time for yourself during this busy season.
5. Check your motive for going to events
With holiday gatherings, business parties, and several events through the holiday months, these things can start to feel like obligations. If you’re overloaded, be sure to check your motives and intentions before committing to an event. Will this event make you feel refreshed? Or drained? Is it important for maintaining the relationships in your life? Or are you attending with a motive to please people? This can be a great way to decided if you should attend or not.
And once you make your decision, stick to it. FOMO is just FOMO and it will all be ok!
6. Use a planner
With so many events and things to remember during this season, a planner can help keep things organized.
We’re LOVING this No-Stress Holiday Organizer for a way to write things down and organize the holidays!
7. Pick up a healthy dinner
Real life: you may not always have time to make a healthy dinner during this season. And that’s ok. Do whatever you need to do! Whether that means buying frozen meals for the family or picking up something on your way home, have grace on yourself and embrace the chaos of this season. Don’t worry – it’s not forever!
P.S: Another great option for reducing holiday stress is to have Sun Basket delivered right to your doorstep!
8. Ask for help
It’s always ok to ask for help. Whether it’s from family members and friends, hiring a cleaning service, babysitter, or a counselor to help you process your emotions, asking for help can be essential for this busy season!
9. Celebrate the season
It may sound cliché, but don’t forget to celebrate the reason for the season! Make sure you focus on the good things about the season and celebrate them through new and old traditions.
10. Be grateful
This is possibly one of the best ways to reduce holiday stress and difficult emotions that often come with it. Focusing on what you’re grateful for and what you have (instead of what you don’t have) can help you have a positive, freeing mindset during this season.
Here’s a great read on finding and establishing healthy emotions!
11. Schedule a massage
Relax and unwind with a massage during the craziness of the holidays!
12. Make healthy recipes
Eating as healthy as possible (flexibly, of course) during the holidays is a great way to keep stress levels in check. Here are some comforting, healthy holiday recipes to try out:
- Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
- Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- The BEST Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
13. Take a break from social media
Another thing that can add stress to our lives during this season is social media. While we may not feel it in the moment, this type of stress can build up as we experience various emotions scrolling through our feeds. Instead, detox your mind and add time back to your routine by taking a break from social media during the holidays!
14. Load up on vitamin C and vitamin B
Keep your immune system healthy with daily vitamin C, B6, and B12. Add a multivitamin and/or these Pomegranate Energy Fizz Sticks to your daily routine for a nutrition and energy boost!
15. Have grace on yourself
Ultimately, having grace on yourself is the best way to reduce stress during the holidays. Be kind to yourself, allow things to get messy, and embrace the disorder. After you’ve done everything you can to make the most of this season, have grace on yourself (and others) and allow yourself to enjoy the little things!
What are your best tips for reducing stress during the holidays?
Monika Grover says:
Great information. Sometimes holidays can be stressful, so it is better to make time for rest, practice yoga, and enjoy your coffee. It really helps me to destress myself. Thank you for sharing these, it is really useful.
kaila says:
These are great tips!! Even though the holidays are full of fun, they can also be quite stressful. Every one could use these tips!
Julie says:
I get FOMO so checking my motive on doing things is a big one! These are great tips to help get through the holidays.
Deborah Brooks says:
Getting outside for a walk with a friend is my favorite way to destress this time of the year
Rachel says:
I could have used this post for Thanksgiving weekend. I hosted Thanksgiving, my husband’s birthday (and party), and my high school reunion. It was a lot to handle.