The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, filled with rich foods, giving and holiday sights and sounds. But despite our best intentions, the holidays can also be stressful when you have to balance work and family commitments with holiday parties, hosting guests and purchasing the perfect gifts for family and friends. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed during the holidays, here are some tips to help you de-stress and enjoy time with close family and friends:
- If you have hearing loss, make sure to give yourself some hearing breaks. Remove your hearing aids or go into another room for five or 10 minutes of quiet during a family party. Speechreading can be tiring because it takes a lot of concentration, so excuse yourself from your host or hostess duties for a bit.
- If you feel like you might lose your cool, stay calm by using self-talk and taking deep breaths. For example, if that side dish didn’t turn out as planned, you can say “I let go of expectations,” or if you’re stuck in a long holiday line, tell yourself “I’m grateful for this time to stop and reflect.”
- Even if you have a schedule packed to the brim with holiday preparations, make room for something that gives you joy. Call your friend you’ve been meaning to chat with, or take a 20-minute break to read that book you’re hooked on. You’ll feel energized to take on the holiday prep with a sense of calm.
- Try to fully immerse yourself in the task at hand, rather than multi-tasking or running through your long to-do list in your head. This is especially vital if you’re doing something you generally enjoy, like decorating cookies. Let yourself be in the moment.
- Say “no” when you need to. Many times, we feel like we can’t say no to some people, but lower your stress by not taking on too many tasks.
- If there’s family conflict, do your best to set aside differences for the sake of your mental wellbeing, and encourage others to do the same.
- Remember that things this year don’t have to be the same as last year, and nothing is ever perfect. We tend to get carried away during the holidays, but encourage yourself to have realistic expectations that things will be just fine.
- Eat dark chocolate, which has mood-boosting serotonin, and eat vitamin C-rich foods to keep your immune system up.
- Maintain perspective. Remember what’s most important to you. When you stop to think, you’ll probably realize that spending time with family is more important to you than spending hours making homemade pies. Go with the store-bought ones and use the time you would have spent making pies to have a holiday game- or movie-night with your family instead.
- Turn off the gadgets, especially before bed time. It’s important to get enough sleep before the holidays so you don’t miss out on the fun.
