The holiday season comes with a myriad of fun activities, get-togethers and festivities for many families across the globe. However, many people, especially women, are stressed out during this season.
For many women, the holiday season comes with stress caused by different issues including lack of time, lack of enough money, pressure to give or get gifts, social obligations, cooking, decorating, everyday work and family responsibilities.
These issues when combined with the unrealistic expectations of creating the ideal holiday experience for their families and loved ones, make women prone to mental and physical health problems. These problems unfortunately adversely affect them even beyond the holiday season.
Here are 10 tips to help you avoid unnecessary stress this holiday season.
1. Monitor your spending
To save your coins this holiday season, watch out for holiday sales and offers, use discount codes, and take advantage of special offers like buy one get one free.
If you really need to gift your loved ones, handcrafted gifts from your kitchen or home table are great gestures for those who are most meaningful to you.
2. Take breaks whenever you feel overwhelmed
You do not have to act like superwoman even when you are overwhelmed. In as much as you may have a lot of things to get done, prioritize your mental and physical health by taking breaks whenever you can. You can also delegate or ask for help with work from your kids, domestic help or partner.
3. Enforce boundaries
When holiday tension becomes too much, remember you don’t have to do it all or see everyone. If you are not excited about an event, or if social plans drain rather than nourish you, cut them loose.
4. Prioritize what is important
If you are hosting a Christmas party or dinner, focus on the most important chores first. For example, focus on making sure the food is ready on time instead of what guests will watch when they arrive. Learning the most important things will enable you to make the most out of the time you have.
5. Keep it simple
If you are a bit stretched financially, do not go overboard and exhaust your money on expensive decor or cutlery. Do what you can with what you can, instead of stressing on what you cannot afford at the moment.
