The great thing about holiday stress is that it’s predictable! Unlike many other types of negative stress we encounter in life, we know when holiday stress will begin and end, and we can make plans to reduce the amount of stress we experience.

What causes holiday stress?

    • Doing too much
    • Eating and drinking too much
    • Spending too much
    • Too much togetherness or not enough togetherness.

Minimising holiday stress

The following tips can help reduce holiday stress so that it remains at a positive level, rather than an overwhelming one:

Set your priorities

Before you get overwhelmed by too many activities, decide what traditions offer the most positive impact and eliminate unnecessary activities. Pick a few favourite activities and really enjoy them, while skipping the rest.

Be smart with holiday eating and spending

Plan ahead by being aware of your triggers, do what you can to have some healthy food at hand for each meal, be aware of your intake and practise mindful eating in order to look and feel great.

Stick to your budget. There is no need to buy expensive gifts – it really is the thought that counts. Rather than buying gifts for friends, suggest that you spend time with each other instead.

Change your expectations for togetherness

With family and friends, it’s important to be aware of your limitations. Think back to previous years and try to pinpoint how much togetherness you and your family can take before feeling negative stress. Also, when dealing with difficult relatives, it’s okay to set limits on what you are and are not willing to do, including forgoing your visits or limiting them to every other year.

For those who experience loneliness during the holidays, consider inviting someone to join you. You would be amazed how many people spend the holiday period alone. Volunteers are also in demand during this period and it can be very rewarding and sociable to get involved in helping the less fortunate.

Set a schedule

Putting your plans on paper can show you, in black and white, how realistic they are. Start with your highest priorities, so you will be able to eliminate the less important activities. Be sure to schedule in some time to take a walk each day if at all possible, as exercise and exposure to daylight can help lift your spirit.

Breathe!

This sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes we forget to take deep breaths and really give our bodies the oxygen we need. Merely stopping to take a few deep, cleansing breaths can reduce your level of negative stress in a matter of minutes.

 

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about taking the stress out of the festive season.

Sources:
http://stress.about.com/
http://www.articlesnatch.com/