Enjoy the Magic of the Season with 12 Days of Christmas Stress Relief
The winter holiday season is upon us and so too are extra-long to do lists, jam packed social calendars, and pursuits of that perfect gift for everyone who made your nice list. All of this on top of already hectic schedules. Many people struggle to deal with heightened stress during the holiday season. Sometimes the difficulty with holiday related stress can be so high that it detracts from enjoyment of what can be a magical season.
Demands upon professional women are high all year long, but the last two months of the year have our personal and business calendars bursting at the seams. While we typically think of the holiday season as a time to spend precious moments with loved ones, some of our social engagements may involve family members or other people with whom there is history of conflict or other difficult dynamics.
Shopping for loved ones can be a favorite part of the holiday season, but sometimes gift giving can come with unrealistic expectations of making sure everything is perfect. Even the most independent and successful women can inherit myths of the perfect Christmas passed down through holiday movies and perpetuated by social media posts.
Extra demands upon us and facing unique challenges during the holiday season may be inevitable, but that does not mean they have to dim the magic of the season. If we are intentional in how we handle the stress associated with this time of year, it is entirely possible to have a peaceful holiday season.
Keep reading for 12 Days of Christmas Stress Relief So You Can Enjoy the Season to the fullest.
When Holiday Stress is Overwhelming
We all experience holiday stress in different ways. Some people will be so busy they never slow down to fully experience the current moment. Others may be so pressed to make everything perfect that any mishap is viewed as a major disaster. Some may find that in a moment of stress related irritability, they snapped at a loved one and wish they could take it back.
Finding Relief from Holiday Stress
We do not have to let holiday stress get the best of us. There are strategies we can use to handle holiday related stress. When we choose to do this, we can have a joyful holiday season without compromising our well-being.
12 Days of Christmas Stress Relief
While it is true it ‘tis the season for holiday celebrations that tax our already hectic schedules and to do lists, sometimes with the added strain of interpersonal conflict, we can take specific steps to help us manage that stress and enjoy the season.
Check out these tips for managing holiday stress inspired by the traditional holiday song: the 12 Days of Christmas. Don’t worry. I promise not to add any media of me singing the days nor will I repeat each day in reverse order before sharing the tip for the next day with you.
1) Make Healthy Food Choices to Reduce Stress
On the first day of Christmas Stress relief the focus is on making mindful food choices. During the holiday season, when there is so much to get done, we may be tempted to skip meals. You are not alone if you find yourself asking “who has time to eat” this time of year. On the other hand, we may find ourselves dealing with holiday stress by eating too many holiday sweets. It sure does not help when there are dessert spreads at every social event. Both choices though – skipping meals or overindulging on sweets—can make us vulnerable to irritability, which is not helpful during an already demanding time. So, grab that pear instead. Get it? Partridge in a pear tree reference. No singing though. I promised!
2) Get a Good Night’s Sleep to Better Manage Stress
On the second day of Christmas Stress relief, the tip is to make sure you are getting enough sleep. During the holiday season, when our work and personal commitments (and all of the tasks related to these events) are at an annual high, we are often willing to sacrifice sleep in an attempt to get it all done. When we do not get enough sleep though, we end up being more vulnerable to moodiness, which is not helpful during an already challenging time. What we want is quite the opposite. During demanding periods, we want to build up our resiliency to better handle whatever life throws at us.
A good night’s rest is an essential part of self-care that helps us to better manage stress and be more resilient. When we get enough sleep, it sets us up to better handle the challenges of the next day and the emotions that come with it, which is incredibly important during the holiday season. Keep in mind that 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is recommended for adults with some people doing even better with 9 hours. So, settle in for that long winter’s nap!
3) Deep breathing for holiday stress relief
On the third day of Christmas Stress relief, we turn our attention to the benefit of deep, calm breathing for managing stress. When we are stressed, we often take shallow breaths and may notice an increase in our heart rates. This is because our bodies are experiencing the holiday demands upon us as too much than we handle. By engaging in calming breathing, we can bring on a soothing relaxation response instead.
4) Mindfulness to reduce stress this holiday season
On the fourth day of Christmas Stress relief, we consider how practicing mindfulness can help us with holiday stress. Mindfulness is all about bringing your attention fully into the current moment and experiencing it without judgment. In many ways, practicing mindfulness is like having the curiosity of a child. Living in the present moment is especially helpful when it comes to holiday stress. We may find ourselves worrying about how many days are left until Christmas and how much we still must accomplish during that time. Each moment we spend worrying about what we have yet to do, we are missing out on experiencing that exact moment of the holiday season. We were too busy worrying. Instead of worrying about things you cannot do at that very moment anyways, try practicing some form of mindfulness.
If you do not have time for a full-on meditation, you can bring your attention to the present moment in other ways. For example, you can bring your visual attention to an aesthetically pleasing holiday ornament by gazing at it and noticing everything you can about it. Other thoughts or worries might come into your mind when doing this focusing type of mindfulness and that is normal. Just notice you had thoughts and return your attention to the object of your choosing.
5) Set Realistic Expectations for the Holiday Season
On the fifth day of Christmas Stress relief, we look to the impact unrealistic expectations for the holiday season can have on our stress levels. While it may be tempting to overextend ourselves to make the holiday season perfect, we also have to remember that each of us is only one person. Any celebration is bound to have a mishap or two. Going into the holiday season with the mindset that not everything may go exactly as we pictured will help us handle the unexpected with more flexibility and ease, allowing us to better manage our stress.
6) Organize Now to Get Out Ahead of Holiday Stress
On the sixth day of Christmas Stress relief, we consider the benefit of dedicating time to organization at the start of the holiday season to reduce our stress levels throughout the entire season. Holiday to do lists and tracking lists help keep stress manageable in a few ways.
1. Lists give us a system to follow through on all those great ideas for gifts and celebrations floating around in our quick minds.
2. By clearing our minds of our fabulous ideas, we are then able to better focus on our other holidays tasks.
3. As we cross each item off our holiday to do lists, we get a sense of accomplishment. This small act can help us feel encouraged and ready to tackle our next holiday task.
7) Gratitude Can Help with Holiday Stress
On the seventh day of Christmas Stress relief, we turn to the benefits of gratitude. Practicing gratitude does not have to fall by the wayside after Thanksgiving. Rather, we can think of Thanksgiving as the kickoff to a holiday season with regular—ideally daily—practice of gratitude. Research studies from positive psychology have shown that those who practice gratitude report lower levels of stress. We can practice gratitude by naming or journaling about 3-5 good things from each day of the holiday season. The holidays are also a wonderful time to express our appreciation for someone who has helped us in some way with a meaningful gift. The gift to share your thankfulness does not have to be extravagant. In fact, to feel the benefits of practicing gratitude, it really is the thought that counts.
8) Recognize your strengths this holiday season
On the eighth day of Christmas Stress relief, the tip is to recognize your strengths and draw on them. Research from positive psychology has found that people who know their strengths and use them, tend to be more optimistic and more likely to accomplish their goals. Think about what characteristics helped you to you overcome past challenges and draw on those strengths in the face of holiday stress.
9) Exercise can help with holiday stress
On the ninth day of Christmas Stress relief, the focus is on physical exercise. Psychological research studies have found that people who exercise more regularly are less vulnerable to increased stressors. Exercise gives us more energy, which definitely comes in handy this time of year. We also get stress relief from exercise because it can help us let off steam.
10) Self-Care for Holiday Stress Relief
On the tenth day of Christmas Stress relief, remember the importance of self-care. We are better able to manage stress, including holiday stress, when we engage in activities that we enjoy. Think about what you require as part of your daily holiday routine and what special actions if taken would help you feel better. Self-care is any activity that supports physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. Treating yourself to a massage, volunteering for a valued charity, and spending quality time with loved ones are all examples of self-care.
11) Healthy Communication Can Help with Holiday Stress
On the eleventh day of Christmas stress relief, let’s talk about how we talk. One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is spending time with family members where there is a history of difficult dynamics and problematic communication. We can help minimize holiday stress in this area by keeping conversations on good memories from past holiday seasons and focusing on shared interests.
12) Talk to Someone about your Holiday Stress
On the twelfth day of Christmas stress relief, consider the value of talking to someone for support. You are not alone in your experience of holiday stress. By talking to someone about holiday related stress, it can help decrease the negative feelings that come with stress. Even if we cannot immediately solve the problem behind the holiday stress we are experiencing, talking to a supportive person can be helpful.
Professionals such as psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors are also available to help with stress management over the holiday season. These professionals are aware of the unique challenges people face during the holiday season and the heightened levels of stress that come with this time of year.
It is understandable to feel stress levels start to rise during the holiday season. We don’t have to let the stress get so overwhelming that it detracts from our enjoyment of the season though. With a combination of stress relief strategies having a magical holiday season is entirely possible.
Therapy for stress can help, especially during the holiday season.
If you think you may benefit from personalized help with stress management this holiday season or anytime of the year, please feel free to contact the psychotherapy practice of Dr. Jennifer McManus to learn more about available support. You can schedule a free consultation, email, or call the office at 866-706-3665.
