Struggling to fit in all the shopping, decorating, get-togethers, events and traditions you want to make time for during the holiday season? It’s a hectic time of year and while all those things can bring joy, the overplanning it can take to get them all done can end up causing more stress than the festive fun they’re supposed to create.
“Holidays have a lot of expectations that come along with them,” explains Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, counselor and professor of counseling at Northern Illinois University. “We can get sucked into doing too much, overcommitting, overspending, and we really begin to resent every day from November 15 until January 5.”
If you feel trapped in an endless loop of overplanning and stretching yourself thin in an effort to achieve the perfect idea of what you think the holidays should look like, there is a way out. Experts recommend these ways to cut down on holiday stress and increase gratitude.
- Choose which traditions are important - Traditions help us connect with ourselves and loved ones, but they can add a lot of pressure to do things a certain way so we don’t let anyone down. But there’s only so much time, energy and money to go around, so deciding which traditions are worth keeping and which can be dropped this year can help.
- Drop the need for perfection - Trying to make everything picture-perfect is virtually impossible, so figure out what matters most to you and focus on that instead of perfection.
- Ask others to participate - Reach out to loved ones when you feel overwhelmed and get them involved with your decorating, wrapping and baking. It’ll add to the enjoyment and ease some holiday stress.
- Schedule some downtime - We’re talking time with no obligations or responsibilities, but you have to let go of that FOMO first. Instead, learn to embrace “JOMO,” or the joy of missing out.
- Swap criticism with gratitude - Stop beating yourself up for all the things you didn’t do or do perfectly and try reflecting on the things you’re thankful for and appreciating the good things in your life.
Source: CNN