Ideas for a Less Stressful Holiday Season
The holidays can add extra demands on your time, energy, and relationships. These seven tips are ideas to try. You can use the ones that fit your life and leave the rest.
1. Set Boundaries
The holiday season can be busy, and it can help to set boundaries with family and friends. That might mean limiting how much time you spend with certain people or how many events you attend. Looking after your own needs first can make it easier to show up for others.
2. Take Time for Yourself
Whether it is a few minutes a day or an hour or two each week, set aside time to rest and recharge. Meditation, yoga, reading a book, or going for a walk are options some people find helpful for easing stress.
3. Protect Your Sleep
Sleep affects how we manage stress. Sleep guidelines for adults generally suggest at least seven hours a night. When you can, keep to your usual bedtime routine, even during a busy season.
4. Move Your Body
Physical activity can help ease tension and support mood, and it gives built-up stress somewhere to go during all the planning and preparation. A common goal is about thirty minutes on most days, and a short walk counts too.
5. Ask for Help
If things start to feel like too much, it is okay to ask family or friends for support with tasks like shopping, cooking, or cleaning up after gatherings. Asking for help is a normal part of coping during a demanding time.
6. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It can be a useful practice during stressful times, including at a holiday meal with family. Many apps offer guided mindfulness exercises if you would like a place to start.
7. Make Self-Care Part of Your Routine
Self-care is not only for the holidays. It can include nourishing meals, restful sleep, yoga or meditation, practicing gratitude, time with friends, and hobbies. Choose what works for you.
When Holiday Stress Feels Like More
For some people, the holidays also bring grief, loneliness, family tension, or a return of anxiety or low mood. If stress is affecting your sleep, mood, or daily life, or feels hard to manage on your own, talking with a clinician may be a helpful step.
Related Care at PPG
- Adult Therapy: Individual therapy for adults.
- Family Therapy: Sessions that include family members.
- Group Therapy: Groups for children, teens, parents, and adults.
