How to Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

The holidays can be an extremely stressful time of year. There are so many things to do and only a few short weeks to get everything done. You love the holiday season, but it can be overwhelming. This year, we are stripping the crazy out of the holidays and trimming the stress to give you back your holiday cheer. The goal is to stress less and enjoy more this Thanksgiving and Christmas season, so let me show you how you can have a stress free holiday season starting now!

Using these 5 simple action steps we can eliminate holiday overwhelm had have a stress free holiday season. One thing we can do is self-care. YES, we need to take care of ourselves first in order to then take care of others. Use the free printable Self-Care Checklist to improve your holiday life

Make a plan

It’s easy to dive into the Christmas to-dos without any regard for what exactly you need to do. Before you start on anything holiday related, make a to do list (available in the Holiday Planner) of what things you need to get done. Organize tasks on your list by what is most important and work through your list a little at a time.

If you are having guests over, you may need to prepare a few extra meals or prepare for guests to arrive. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by the last minute details, so plan ahead and you’ll feel a sense of relief.

Make a budget

Finances are the most stressful part of the holidays. Between the tree, meals, decorations, and gifts, you could be out a lot of money. Start by making yourself a holiday budget and keep track of your spending throughout the year. The Holiday Planner includes a budget tracker to keep you on top of your spending and make sure you don’t overspend.

Make time for yourself

Holidays often mean being surrounded by friends and family. This is wonderful, but sometimes it can make us feel claustrophobic. Make sure to plan some alone time and practice a little self care when you can. This will help you keep calm and carry on! If you need some self care ideas here’s a printable to help guide you:

Get a manicure or pedicure
Read a book
Sit at the table and enjoy a cup of coffee with no distractions
Take a walk
Enjoy a spa day at home
Watch your favorite movie
Take a nap
Order in, instead of cooking
Do some coloring
Watch a funny video
Look out at the stars
Dance
Take the day off (if you can)
Burn a candle you like
Try something you’ve been waiting to try
Do some yoga
Declutter an area in your home (this is so freeing)
Bake a sweet treat
Go to bed early or sleep in
Spend time getting lost on Pinterest
Get a massage
Cook a fancy meal for yourself
Say “no” to something
Let your husband or kids do some of the chores so you can relax
Do some deep breathing or meditating

Stay on track

The holiday planner is jam packed full of gift trackers, calendars and more to help you keep track of all the things you’re doing this holiday season. Print out these trackers and keep them handy whenever you are shopping so you can make sure you are on track to meeting your holiday goals.

Prioritize

As much as we’d like to make homemade cookies, cut down our own tree, and make our decorations from scratch, we are limited to a few hours a day! You’ll save yourself from a lot of added stress by prioritizing the things that are important to you. If cutting down your own tree as a family is a high priority, maybe skip baking cookies this year and go store bought instead.

Holidays can be a huge stress on both our families and ourselves. Sometimes it can be a miracle just surviving the holidays! With a little help from our holiday planner, you can say goodbye to the stress of the holiday season, and enjoy it with your family for a change.