12 Practical Ways to Minimize Holiday Stress
Every year, I eagerly anticipate the holiday season, and my excitement really kicks into high gear when November rolls around and the prospect of putting my tree up, spreading good tidings and celebrating Jesus's birth is right around the corner. After all, ‘tis the season to be jolly!
However, I know the holidays can be marked with far more stress than joy for many people. So, in the spirit of enjoying what is meant to be a joyful and blessed time of year, I'd like to share with you some practical ways to keep Christmas stress down and holiday cheer up.
1. Plan your meals
A big part of the holidays for many of us is food. Even if you're not normally into meal planning, I’ve found that there is no way to get through this time of year without it. Your husband might have a few days off of work and your kids will be home from school, which can really shake up your routine.
Unplanned activities are pretty much the norm in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so I've found that knowing what I'm cooking each day – or better yet, having some meals batch cooked in advance and in my freezer ready to go – can eliminate the pressure of having to come up with something to please a hungry family on the fly. I like to write down in advance what we’ll eat for the week ahead, for any days that I know we have plans, and for all the big holidays.
2. Get grocery shopping out of the way
This leads us to my next point: Do your grocery shopping as soon as possible. I know that you won't be able to buy salad for Christmas week in November, but go ahead and buy the non-perishable items you need for your traditional Christmas dishes as early as possible.
Make a list of the ingredients you’ll need, and don't forget to check your spice rack to make sure you're not about to run out of anything. You know that sinking feeling when you’ve almost finished whipping up pumpkin bread batter and you realize your jar of cinnamon basically contains fumes? That’s what we want to avoid!
Shopping early also means you can avoid the craziness that every grocery store experiences right before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. I don't know about you, but being surrounded by frantic shoppers sends my holiday anxiety through the roof. Plus, some of the ingredients for more popular holiday dishes might even be sold out if you wait until the last minute.
3. Test any new recipes
I feel like recipe testing is a pretty big part of my life , so I can tell you from experience that if you plan to make something new for the holidays, it's a good idea to try it out beforehand to avoid any unpleasant surprises on the big day.
I know how important it is to you to serve good food to your family, and taking chances on a new dish without a trial run could be a recipe for disaster.
4. Leave the guilt behind
Listen up: It's normal to indulge over the holidays, so do not be too hard on yourself. If there are several dishes on the table you want to try, go ahead and have a little bit of everything. You may find that a little goes a long way toward satisfying you.
Plus, if you turn down your favorite dish and you have leftovers the following day, you're more likely to end up bingeing on it when you find some time alone – ask me how I know! Eat what you’re craving, and enjoy your favorite foods and extra treats mindfully.
One thing I like to indulge on over the holidays that I don't usually eat is food wrapped in pastry. Normally, I find the pastry to be empty calories that don't add enough nutritional value to keep me sated for long, but the holidays would not be complete without my No-Beef Mushroom Wellington (recipe coming up!), which is, of course, wrapped in pastry.
Do I enjoy every bite? You bet.
Do I feel guilty about it afterward? Not at all!
5. Savor every bite
When you're eating, take it slow and savor every bite. If you gulp your food down, you won't enjoy it as much and are more likely to overeat.
Keep in mind that the hunger hormone ghrelin can take up to 20 minutes to signal to your brain that you're full, and if you eat too quickly, you may have eaten far more than you needed or wanted before your body gets the message.
6. Make a list, and check it twice
When it comes to gift buying, I suggest making a list of the people you're buying gifts for, along with a few ideas for each one. Then, devote a day or two to buying everything. Set yourself a reasonable deadline – I like to buy everything by the end of November so I can avoid shopping with stressed-out buyers at the last minute.
I also like sticking to smaller shops where possible. I can usually avoid big crowds this way, and I like supporting family-run and local businesses.
7. Keep your gifts simple
Work out a budget for gifts this year and stick to it, no matter how tempting those Black Friday sales might be. You don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars in gifts. The average American spends $942 on Christmas gifts, and that leads to a lot of pressure.
I love giving people homemade gifts. I can make them well in advance, and giving someone something that they can never buy makes the season even more special. I find that most people really appreciate a gift that comes from the heart.
One thing I traditionally give both sides of our family on Christmas is a No-Bake Christmas Log. Rich, festive and super delicious, the entire family enjoys it. I'll be sharing the recipe with you soon, so make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter so you don't miss out on this recipe and some other tasty ones I'm getting ready for Christmas.
When you subscribe, you'll also receive a free guide about boosting your immunity naturally – something we all need at this time of year!
8. Stay active
If you currently work out or go for walks three or four times a week, I encourage you to keep this up as much as possible during the holidays. This has nothing to do with punishing yourself for indulging over the holidays – far from it.
The truth?
Movement helps so much in the way you feel. I know that when I've been eating heavy and rich food, I tend to feel lethargic afterward.
Movement wakes me up and releases those feel-good endorphins that can lift your spirits and wash away holiday stress.
Plus, I have a tendency to watch more movies during the Christmas season, which means sitting for longer stretches of time. Moving my body really helps keep my energy up.
9. Make peace with messes
With your kids and husband home from school and work and everyone feeling festive, accept the fact that there will be more toys and messes scattered around the house and don’t let it add to your holiday stress.
When you really think about it, you can usually organize everything in 10 minutes, tops, so don’t let it get the best of you. And be sure to have your kids help you tidy up – they might think twice before they take out every single toy they own next time if they know they’ll be helping with cleanup!
10. Unplug
Over the holidays, I suggest that you forget about the online world for stretches of at least a few hours at a time and be more present with your family. Even if you're alone and your husband is working, find an activity that will help you feel more connected to the world around you – I’m talking about the real world, not the virtual one.
I'm grateful for this online world and the ability to communicate with you, but it is so important to find the right balance and avoid holiday stressors. We all know how easy it is to get sucked into reading the news, but it’s mostly negative and reading it has a way of raising your stress levels pretty quickly.
It may even be helpful to allocate a certain amount of time to going online, such as 15 minutes twice a day, and setting an alarm so you know when it's time to walk away.
11. Get together virtually
One exception to your online break is organizing virtual get-togethers with family members you're unable to visit in person. You might consider playing games together over Zoom, having your kids sing a song or play an instrument for their grandparents in FaceTime, or even prepare a slideshow with pictures so everyone can tell stories and reminisce. Family time is so important, and if there is one upside of going online, this is it!
12. Remember the reason for the season
Of course, we can't forget that Christmas should be focused on the birth of Jesus. Without Him, Christmas is just another regular holiday. Whatever you plan this holiday season, be sure to ask yourself if it honors Him.
Christmas celebrates Jesus coming to this earth in the form of one of us. He loved us so much that He humbled Himself to live like one of us and give Himself on the cross so that those who accept Him as their Savior can spend eternity with Him.
If you find that none of your traditions really incorporate Jesus, it's time to start a few. Growing up, my parents would put a nativity (we call it a “crib” in Malta) behind the staircase with lights around it. I remember how after everyone went to bed, I would sneak downstairs to the crib and softly sing to Jesus. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm 32 and I still do that every night when we put baby Jesus out in our house!
With the right planning and a more laid-back attitude, you can truly enjoy this magical time celebrating Jesus with family and friends without too much stress.
Here’s to happy and healthy holidays!