Holiday Stress Management Tips

The holiday season should be a time of joy, spending time with loved ones and having some time off to rest. However, many people find this season stressful because of the significant increase in the number of things they need to do, the pressure of needing everything to be perfect, and, for some, spending time with family members they do not get along with. The American Psychological Association found that 89% of adults in America feel stressed over the holiday season. Mental Health UK cites a poll that shows 3 in 10 adults in the UK find that their mental health significantly drops during this time as well. 

Practical Holiday Stress Management Strategies

In this blog, I will discuss what can cause this increase in stress and offer some tips and strategies to help you improve your emotional well-being during the holiday season and beyond. 

The Pressure of Perfection

• It doesn’t have to be perfect: A lot of the pressure and stress is caused by this vision many people have of everything being perfect. You are trying to find the perfect gift for everyone (and their uncle!). At the same time, you are bombarded with posts and videos about how to decorate your tree and your table like your favourite celebrity and how to wrap your present like a pro. Instead, write a list of everything you usually do over this season and sort it into these 3 categories: must do, could do and don’t need to do. By doing this, you can narrow down not just your present list but also your to-do as well. You may find that many tasks you do over the holiday season can cause stress and don’t add anything to the celebration. 

Set Healthy Boundaries

• Set boundaries: There can be a party every other day, and you can end up exhausted, feeling sick and that your cup is empty. By saying no to events you don’t need to attend or have attended in the past and regretted, you can free up more time for yourself and the things that fill your cup. Also, if you are always hosting, you can inform your loved ones that you cannot host this year, get your guests to bring a dish to lighten the load or decrease the number of people you invite to your home. Another boundary is related to travelling. It can be expensive and a logistical nightmare. My husband and I used to travel a long way to visit our families. We have four children and after our second child was born, the planning, effort and stress far outweighed travelling yearly. We compassionately informed our families that we could not travel to them yearly and explained why. They completely understood and they had wanted to talk to us about it but didn’t want to upset us. Now, some family members travel to our home as it is easier for them. For the other family members, we plan to see them in January when things have calmed down. 

Delegate and Ask for Help

• Ask for help: If you are the one in the family who is always making the present list and organising the festivities every year, then delegate some of the tasks. Just be aware that it may not work out perfectly (see the point above about expecting perfection!), but every year, as your loved ones get used to taking on more responsibility, they will get better at it. Many shops and shopping centres offer a gift wrapping service that can be free or sometimes come at a small cost. How many hours and crumpled-up sticky tape would that save you? 

Financial Worries

• Worrying about finances: Money is spent on presents, cards, outfits, food, etc. With everything getting more expensive and our income already being stretched as much it can, worrying about money is high on the list of what causes stress over the holiday season. Many people set a budget and find they exceed this every year. Others see setting a budget as taking all the joy from the holidays. Whatever your thoughts are on this topic, we can all agree it would be ideal if we could have a great Christmas without creating a massive dip in our finances. I love this quote by Dave Ramsey “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went”. I am a massive fan of getting ahead. Therefore, I estimate the cost of Christmas and then divide it by 11 (for 11 months). I then have a direct debit that, on payday, sends a certain amount to a savings account called Christmas 2024, for example. I do not touch it (and you can even earn some interest). I also follow the above steps to ensure I only spend money on the things, events and people that matter.

The True Spirit of the Holiday Season

The holiday season should be a time of recharging and reconnecting with the important people in your life. Many factors can cause stress, but there is also a lot that we can do to decrease the burden. If you need help setting boundaries, managing your ever-growing to-do list, or improving your general well-being, fill in the Contact Me page, and we can have a free discovery call to discuss your needs further.

References

Did you know that 3 in 10 adults in the UK experience a significant decline in mental health during the holiday season? Is the Mental Health Foundation? Their 2018 study found that 74% of people have felt so stressed they were overwhelmed or unable to cope, with 37% reporting feelings of loneliness as a result.

Mental Health Foundation: Stress Statistics

Conclusion

The holiday season should be about joy, relaxation, and reconnecting with loved ones. You can focus on what truly matters by implementing practical strategies like setting boundaries, budgeting wisely, and letting go of perfection. If you need support in managing your stress and improving your emotional well-being, reach out to schedule a discovery call.

I wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

THANK YOU

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